The Dark Bandit
by The TurquoiseCow
Summary: Just before the Princess Hikari's sixteenth birthday, Miyako Inoue is attacked by a mysterious bandit and saved by another. Focused mainly on Miyako, Ken, Daisuke, and Hikari, but all the Chosen appear. Complete! Epilougue added 111201
1. Part One: Confusion and Beginnings

The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part One

Miyako Inoue grumbled to herself about the annoying skirts she was forced to wear. She had never really been a tomboy, not like her older friend Sora, but she disliked having to carry along such tedious skirts. She had to lift them over the mud and dirt. And there was a lot of dirt and mud around. 

There wasn't much she could do about it, however. She just had to lift the big, clumsy things and carry them as she walked to the market. 

As if it wasn't enough trouble having to carry the basket and all its items, she grumbled. Of course, it was just after a rainstorm, which meant there was even more rain and mud than usual. 

But despite the mud and dirt and heavy basket, Miyako wasn't complaining too much. She and Sora Takenouchi, her best friend, were heading to market, and it was a beautiful day. Behind her, was Hawkmon, one of her most loyal friends and a close companion. The little brown bird had no trouble keeping his feathers clean as he fluttered above her. 

Sora didn't seem to care much about keeping her skirts clean. She skipped along cheerfully, lifting the hem above the mud only when she felt like doing so. Miyako glanced enviously at Sora, despite the mud that was beginning to get on her dress. 

She had short, red hair that fell loosely about her face. Every morning her mother or one of the servants would pin it up and make it look nice, and by the time the mid-day meal came around, it had fallen down and was hanging loosely around her face. 

Sora usually looked the best in blue, Miyako thought, and indeed everyone agreed. Today, the tomboyish girl was dressed in a blue skirt. She wore a bright white apron around her waist that would most likely not be quite so bright white by the time they returned home. As she walked and skipped along the path from the manor, she waved her basket along cheerfully, humming a cheerful tune to herself. Behind her was Piyomon, her digimon, a little pink bird with blue trim. She chatted with Hawkmon as they flew behind their partners.

Miyako followed along with Sora as quickly as possible. She lifted her skirts in the air, trying her best to keep them from getting dirty and trying to keep up with her friend at the same time. She had decided long ago that if she wasn't going to look as beautiful as her friend, she should at least try to keep her clothes in neater order. 

Unfortunately, a dirt path after a rainstorm is the most impossible place to keep a skirt clean. 

"Sora, wait up!" she half-wailed towards her friend, who was already quite a ways ahead of her. 

"Oh come on Miyako," Sora cheerfully shouted back. "We're almost there. Don't hold us up now!" 

"I'm not!" Miyako replied. "I'm just trying to keep my dress clean!" 

Sora shrugged. "Why?" she asked. "It'll only need to be washed again anyway!" 

Miyako sighed. She'd had this argument with her friend a million times before. It was pointless to argue any further. Sora simply didn't think it important to keep clothes quite as clean as she did. 

"It's such a nice day I don't see how you can walk so slow anyway," she added from some place ahead of Miyako. 

With a sigh, Miyako lifted her skirts again and hurried after her friend. In a few minutes, they were in the marketplace, and Miyako went to work buying some of the things she had been sent to buy. 

Her father was officially designated something like an Earl, but Miyako had never paid much attention to anything like that. She hadn't had much contact with the rest of the upper class of the country. She was still young, only sixteen, and before that been considered too young to spend time with the nobility. She and her family had lived in the country for as long as she could remember, and though her parents and her elder siblings occasionally would greet important visitors or go to the palace, she'd never quite been interested, to be honest. 

Sora was two years older than Miyako. Her father, a noble of good standing, had been killed when she was a child, and as a result, her mother had been given a decent estate in the countryside and been assured that she wouldn't be bothered. Despite Lady Takenouchi's attempts to curb her daughter into a young lady, Sora was still unmarried and unengaged. Her mother was at her wits ends and about to give up, but Sora had never, in all her times going to court, found any nobles that had interested her in the least.

When Miyako's parents were married, they had moved to their manor in the countryside not far from Sora's mother's estate. Even though Sora was older than Miyako, and the age of her next oldest sister, their similar interests had led her to befriend the younger Inoue girl instead.

Today, Miyako's thoughts lie with that court in question. As she had just passed her sixteenth birthday, it was decided that she should go to the palace to celebrate Princess Hikari's sixteenth birthday. It would be her first time in court, and she was nervous. 

"I've never even seen Princess Hikari," she commented to Sora as the two girls examined a fruit stand selling apples. "And I haven't a clue how to act around nobility." 

"All I've heard about her is that she has a Tailmon for a partner," Hawkmon offered as he helped them examine the fruits.

"Yes," Piyomon chirped in agreement. "A very rare digimon indeed." 

"Yes, and her brother has an Agumon," Sora agreed. "Your family's nobility, Miyako. Surely that should tell you something." 

"Yes, but the only formal occasions I've ever been to were my siblings weddings," Miyako answered. "And then I never had to interact much. I just had to sit there and look good. No one paid attention to me because I was too young." 

"Your last sister was married rather young," Sora remembered, paying for a few apples and taking a bite of one. "I guess your parents wanted to make sure you didn't do that." 

Miyako shrugged. "Maybe," she admitted. "Momoe isn't very happy, I hear." 

Sora shrugged. "That's why you should wait before you marry," she stated. "That's why I'm waiting." 

"I'm not planning to get married," she replied. "It's just the princess's birthday. Probably any guys there will be interested in Princess Hikari and nothing else." 

"They'll have a tough time," Sora replied. "Last I heard, her brother was very protective of his younger sister." 

"Prince Taichi?" Miyako questioned. "He must be pretty old not to be married yet, either." 

"He's my age," Sora answered. 

"Have you ever met him?" 

"Yes. Quite a few times. He's very charming. A little hot headed and impulsive, but a nice boy." She wrinkled her nose slightly and then shrugged. 

Piyomon nodded. "Agumon is much the same," she agreed.

"Hot headed and impulsive?" Miyako asked. She chuckled slightly. "Sounds like someone else I know." 

"Maybe," Sora replied with a shrug. 

Miyako was about to ask another question or make another comment, when suddenly, a dark figure jumped in front of her. 

"What on earth?" 

Something whizzed through the air, and the dark figure lifted a gloved hand in the air and grasped whatever it was with practiced ease. Miyako gasped in shock. 

"An - arrow?" Sora wondered. 

"An arrow indeed," the dark figure replied. He turned around, and Miyako could see that he was, indeed, a human being. Dark, indigo hair peeked out from under a dark hat, and piercing blue eyes stared at her from behind a black mask. The figure was dressed all in black, except for a purple sash that was wrapped around his hat. On his shoulder sat a little green creature that she had never seen before.

"Miyako, are you alright?" Hawkmon questioned, hurrying to her side. She nodded nervously.

"Who are you?" Miyako managed to gasp, tearing herself away from the eyes. They seemed to be boring themselves into her very soul. 

"Just a friend, milady," the figure replied. From his voice, height, and the few parts of his face she could see, Miyako noted he was a young man, not much older than she. 

"A friend?" she asked. "Then tell me your name." 

He shook his head, beautiful blue eyes closing for an instance. "That I cannot do, madam," he replied. He held out his right hand, and the arrow rested in his palm. Cautiously, she took it from him. 

"An arrow? Aimed at - me?" she asked. 

"So it would appear," the dark-clad figure replied, his eyes twinkling in slight amusement for a moment. "Someone out to get you, Lady Miyako?" 

"Not that I know of," she managed to stammer, staring at the arrow in her hand. 

"I would suggest you be as careful as possible," the masked figure warned with a serious expression. "If someone is out to get you, it would be wise to stay safe as possible." 

"It looks as though you're in danger," the green creature on his shoulder agreed.

"I'll try," she replied in a whisper. "It's all new to me, however. I'm not used to having my life in danger, you know." 

"Of course not," he replied. He smiled, eyes twinkling again. "If you'll excuse me, ladies." He turned and bowed to Sora, and then turned back to Miyako. 

"You're leaving?" 

"Afraid so, Lady. I do have other duties." He bowed deeply and turned to leave. 

"Wait. Sir. Before you go. What do I call you?" 

He shrugged, as though it mattered not to him. "Whatever you please," he replied. "My enemies call me a Dark Bandit." 

Miyako could only stare as he turned to leave, disappearing within the trees as quickly as he had appeared. 

Sora turned to her. "I suppose we should get you home," she told her shocked friend. "Your father will want to know about this." 

***

Miyako was still in shock later that afternoon when she told her parents. Thankfully, Sora, Hawkmon, and Piyomon were on hand to report the incident. The Inoues were startled to hear that someone might be after their daughter, but relieved to hear she was safe. They were worried about permitting her to travel to the party, but reluctantly agreed when the other three promised to take care of her. 

Her parents were, on this rare occasion, hosting a dinner with a visiting nobleman and his family. The nobleman had known her father when they were young, and was eager to visit. He also offered to take Miyako and Sora to court with him, as he was on the way with his son and daughter. Her mother told her that it would be good for her to attend the dinner so that she would learn to be more comfortable in formal situations. 

And so, after a short rest that she didn't really need to recuperate from the shock of the morning, Miyako dressed in what she believed was one of her better dresses and did her hair in preparation for dinner. 

Sora and her mother were invited to dinner as well, and Miyako was surprised to see her friend in more formal wear. Sora looked as though she wanted to rip off the extra skirts and corsets and run down to the marketplace again, but was managing to curb those desires for her mother's sake. 

Dinner arrived all too soon, and Miyako settled herself into the parlor, sitting beside her mother and Sora and awaiting the guests. 

Her father stood when the servant arrived, announcing the arrival of Lord Motomiya. When the Lord and his family arrived in the parlor, the rest of the party stood as well. 

"It's good to see you again," Lord Motomiya greeted, shaking hands with Miyako's father. The handshake was abandoned for a hug a few moments later as the two old friends greeted each other. Their digimon, Lord Motomiya's Guilmon and her father's Muchomon greeted each other similarly. Miyako's mother and Lady Motomiya greeted each other as well, as did the Lady and Sora's mother. Their digimon, a Kiwimon, a Mushmon, and a Floramon, also exchanged greetings.

"Sora, you've grown into a beautiful young lady," Lady Motomiya commented, and her husband agreed. Sora blushed slightly and curtsied as she had been taught to do, feeling slightly out of place. 

"And this is my youngest, Miyako," her father announced, causing the Lady to run into another string of "how-cute-we-haven't-seen-you-since-you-were-this-high" comments. Miyako mirrored Sora's curtsy and tried to remember the last time she had seen them. 

"Oh, of course, you must meet our children," Lord Motomiya announced, suddenly remembering the three youngsters standing beside him. "This is our eldest daughter, Jun, and our eldest son Daisuke." 

Jun was a tall redheaded girl, a few years older than Sora with an Alruamon beside her. She wore a long green skirt and had a pair of light brown eyes. Her brother had a small blue digimon Miyako had never seen before by his side. He had similar eyes and hair as his sister, and he was dressed in a dapper outfit.

"And the third, dear?" Miyako's mother questioned.

"Ah yes. Ken," Lord Motomiya recalled. "This is the son of one of my best friends. He's a good friend to Daisuke, and is traveling with us to court. Lord and Lady Inoue, may I present Ken Ichijouji." 

Miyako turned to the enigmatic figure standing nearby. He was utterly handsome. Daisuke had been adequate looking, and Jun had been somewhat pleasing to the eye, but this Ichijouji fellow was positively handsome. His dark, indigo hair fell softly around his face and his dark eyes peered around him with a striking intellect. Beside him was a green digimon that she had seen before.

Miyako suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine. Could he be? She shook her head faintly. Doubtful.

"Lord. Lady," the young man stated, bowing slightly. 

***

Dinner on a whole went marvelously. The food was appetizing, and the conversation passed effortlessly between the adults as they conversed amongst themselves. 

Jun was seated between Sora and Miyako, and the two found her to be interesting conversation, despite her incredibly cultured upbringing. Miyako was fascinated by her tales of the happenings at court, and Sora was eager to hear of Prince Taichi's latest adventures, having not seen her friend in a long time. 

Miyako found her eyes drifting across the table every so often and into a pair of dark blue eyes. Somehow, every time she glanced at him, he was always glancing back. And when he did, she would blush furiously and look away, embarrassed that he'd caught her. 

Jun noticed her hostess's infatuation at the second glance and grinned mischievously at Miyako. "He is good looking, isn't he?" she asked.

Miyako looked wide eyed for a moment, then blushed for the millionth time that evening and nodded, turning away slightly. "He seems rather mysterious," she commented softly. 

"He is," Jun's Alruamon offered. "Daisuke is his closest friend but I supsect even he knows little about him." 

"And his family?" Sora asked. 

Jun shrugged slightly. "His older brother was killed shortly after he joined the King's army. It affected him deeply. Seems he hasn't been the same since." 

"What of his parents?" Piyomon questioned 

"They were quite distraught. Osamu was a brilliant soldier. Terrible accident that took his life. It seems that the poor folks haven't been the same since. Ken spends quite a bit of time with Daisuke, I'd be surprised if they know he's alive anymore." She sighed dramatically. 

"The past six years he's been quite alone," Alruamon added. 

"Six years?" Miyako gasped. 

Jun nodded. "His parents try to help, really, but they aren't much help. If it wasn't for Daisuke, I'd wonder if he'd be here now." 

The other two girls gasped, barely hiding their surprise. Miyako sneaked another glanced towards the dark haired boy out of the corner of her eye, and saw he was speaking quietly to Daisuke. She turned back to her food before he could see her and send her into another blushing fit. 

***

The next morning, Sora, Miyako, and the Motomiya party including Ken started off for the palace. Sora was excited about the trip, but Miyako felt nervous.

"Taichi has talked about you quite often, Sora," Daisuke informed his new acquaintance. The younger members of the party and their digimon were traveling in their own carriage, while the Motomiya elders rode ahead separately.

"Has he?" Sora asked calmly, but her cheeks blushed a slight red. Miyako noticed and promised herself to tease her friend about that later. V-mon, the little blue digimon that traveled with Daisuke, nodded his agreement. 

"What is Princess Hikari like, really?" Miyako asked the males. She had heard Jun's impressions of the princess but she was eager to get another perspective. 

"She's nice enough, I suppose," Daisuke replied with a shrug. He glanced towards his friend, who was looking out the window. "Wouldn't you say, Ken?" 

The boy looked away from the window. "She's very quiet," he stated in a soft voice. "Agreeable enough." He shrugged slightly and turned back to the window. "Too agreeable for my tastes," he added with a snort. 

Jun rolled her eyes slightly. "Is that because she's more agreeable then you? Because you certainly aren't very at all." She snorted slightly. Alraumon beside her nodded.

"Jun!" Sora gasped in shock.

Ken turned away from the window, turning steely indigo eyes to his friend's sister. "I suppose I should be more like you, then?" he questioned mockingly. "Agreeably stupid?" 

"Princess Hikari isn't stupid and neither am I!" the older girl snapped back. 

Ichijouji snorted and turned away. "Sure," replied sarcastically. He placed his arm on the still unidentified green creature in his lap and peered out the window, indifferent to her insults.

"Why I never!" Jun shouted. She lunged past her brother towards the other boy. 

"Hey!" Daisuke shouted, placing himself directly in his sister's line of fire. "Don't fight! It's a long fight and we're all cramped in here. Let's try to get along, alright?" 

"I was having no problem getting along," Jun informed her brother in a less than calm voice. "He insulted me." 

"It takes two," Daisuke reminded his sister. 

"He started it!" 

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you had nothing to do with it," the brother sighed. 

Jun shouted a reply back, and Ken rolled his eyes, returning to the window. Miyako glanced towards Sora with questioning eyes. 

"Should we stop them?" 

Sora shook her head. "No. Don't bother. This is normal." 

Ken sighed as he glanced out the window. The swiftly passing scenery didn't amuse him any more than the quarreling siblings on his opposite side. In his lap, Wormmon glanced up at him with worried eyes, but he paid no attention. It would be a long trip, he recalled. Perhaps it would do him some good to rest a bit.

***

The carriage jolted to a stop and the younger members of the party filed out, followed by their digimon. 

Miyako yawned and stretched her tired limbs, eager to escape the confines of the carriage. It had been spacious, but with six people and digimon, it was a bit crowded. Hawkmon took to the air, and he and Piyomon perched on the carriage, eager to be in the open air again. 

One of the servants riding along with them set up a blanket on the ground and began to set out food for the travelers. A short time later, the group was settled around, eagerly eating the food. Hawkmon and Piyomon also flew down to the ground, eager to eat. 

"How much longer is the trip going to be?" Miyako wondered aloud. 

"Oh, at least a few more hours, dear," Lady Motomiya replied. "If we're lucky, we'll arrive there late tonight." 

Miyako yawned slightly, tired from the already long drive, and nodded, turning back to her food. 

"I'll be eager to rest tonight, Mother," Jun commented between bites. "These long trips are always exhausting." 

"That they are," the Lady agreed. "But don't worry. There will be nice soft beds set up when we arrive." 

"Great," Daisuke cheered. "Say, Father, do you think it would be possible if Ken and I could walk outside a bit of the way? It's rather cramped in the carriage and we do need some exercise."

"I don't see why not," Lord Motomiya agreed. He glanced towards his wife and, after seeing no objection from her, nodded. 

And so, after lunch was devoured, the girls entered the carriage to find it a little less cramped than beforehand.Hawkmon and Piyomon decided to fly above the carriage for a bit as well, allowing the three girls to take a short nap while they continued. 

It was after dark before they arrived at the main palace. 

***

An official looking young man greeted the Motomiya party and their guests when they arrived at the palace. He was a short boy with dark hair and green eyes, who spoke softly and politely. Bowing when the Lord exited his carriage, he explained the situation. 

"I am Iori Hida, the King's Advisor of the Interior. I have been asked to welcome you and show you to your rooms. The royal family regrets that they were unable to greet you properly, but they will do so in the morning," the young man explained. 

Ken and Daisuke exited the carriage together. Ken peered at the boy. He was dressed plainly yet stylishly and appeared younger than he and Daisuke. He glanced toward his companion, who was too immersed in a yawn at the moment to give much thought to the boy. 

"Great. I'm exhausted," Miyako spoke from behind the boys. Ken avoided glancing in the girls' direction, instead focusing on Wormmon, who had fallen asleep in his arms. 

Iori bowed again. "Follow me," he stated simply, and turned toward the castle. Servants began immediately to unload the carriages and follow behind the party. 

Ken had been to the castle several times before and knew the grounds fairly well. He followed Iori and the rest of the party down polished marble halls and to a hallway with several rooms. Iori pointed out Daisuke's parents' rooms first and then led the younger people to their dwellings. 

All the rooms were closely linked. Sora, Miyako, and Jun had a suite on one side of the hallway, with doors connecting the rooms. Each girl had her own bedroom and bathroom, and there was a small parlor which connected all three. 

On the opposite side of the hall were Ken and Daisuke's rooms, which were arranged in a similar fashion. Their suite only had two rooms, however. 

Ken was pleased with the arrangement. He didn't need to share a suite with anyone besides Daisuke. The boy snored loud enough for four roommates. 

The servants who had followed behind the group carried the trunks into the rooms. Each of them had brought one trunk for themselves, and a smaller bag of little things. Each of them, that is, except for Jun, who had insisted on bringing two trunks and three large bags of clothes. Her Alraumon also brought three bags of her own, while the other digimon had packed only one each. 

Daisuke only rolled his eyes at Jun's luggage. He bowed to the females and Iori while yawning visibly. "I think I'll sleep now," he explained. "It's been a long trip." V-mon beside him also bowed, mimicking his partner's actions. 

"I'm tired, too," the little blue digimon explained. 

The girls nodded. "I think I'll turn in as well," Miyako agreed. She glanced toward Sora and Hawkmon. 

"I will, too," Hawkmon agreed, bowing towards the group. 

"Yes. Good night everyone," Sora agreed. Piyomon beside her nodded.

Jun yawned almost as much as her brother and nodded, excusing herself and Alraumon as well before entering her room, not giving a second glance to the others. 

"I'll sleep, too," Ken stated quickly before ducking into his room. Once inside, he surveyed his surroundings quickly. There was a fair sized bed and a large picture window on the opposite side which peered out at a courtyard.

"You're not planning to go out tonight, are you?" Daisuke questioned from behind him. The redheaded boy was visibly exhausted. 

Ken didn't turn around. "Did you close the door?" 

"Of course," his friend replied. "I'm not that dumb." 

"I knew it was a mistake, helping her," the other grumbled. He strolled to the window and peered out at the darkened courtyard. "She's surely recognized Wormmon and myself already." He glanced toward the sleeping digimon in his arms and moved to place him on the bed. 

Daisuke shrugged. "Maybe. But if there's someone after her, they'll probably make another move here." 

"Why?" V-mon asked. "Isn't the palace pretty safe?" 

Ken shook his head slightly. "Not if the assassin is working for the King," he replied. He began to unbutton his shirt. 

"You are going out, aren't you." Daisuke stated. It wasn't really a question. 

"This may be my first chance to look around before anyone realizes I'm here," the dark haired boy countered. 

Daisuke frowned and sat on the bed next to Wormmon. "I don't think it's safe for you here. Taichi is a good friend, but if his father is out to get you, he'll follow him before he helps us." 

Ken nodded. "I know," he replied, opening the trunk a servant had set at the foot of his bed. 

"Why would the King be after us?" V-mon wondered.

"He's not, necessarily," his partner explained. "But if he's been corrupted, his men could be." 

"Do you think he is?" 

"We're not sure," Ken explained. He pulled a smaller box from inside his trunk. "I've got to look around tonight." 

"Are you sure it's safe without Wormmon?" 

Ken shrugged. "It's a risk I'll have to take. He should stay undercover anyway. As a rare digimon, him being seen with either of me is a risk I'll be discovered." 

Daisuke frowned. "True." 

"He's not gonna like that," V-mon predicted. 

Ken shrugged again. "There's not much choice." He opened the box and removed its contents. "I'll be back in a few hours," he assured his friends. 

Daisuke yawned. "As you wish. I'll be here. Sleeping." He turned to the door connecting his room and headed out, V-mon following him.

***

Don't worry, I don't plan to forget about A Stranger Digiworld. That will be finished soon. It's just that this little idea popped itself into my head and I couldn't resist typing it. Originally, it was going to be shorter, but now it's going on and on and I can't stop! Man, I love this stuff. 

  
Anyway, to answer the questions apparent in this story. Yes, I know it's blatantly obvious who the Dark Bandit is. So? It was blatantly obvious who the Digimon Emperor was, too. Big whoop. If you don't know, stick around. The characters find out eventually. ^_^

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to include the Digimon, but now I'm glad I did. It factors in when you find out exactly who is after Miyako. Oops. I hope I didn't give away too much. Anyway, enjoy. I'll post this as often as I'm allowed to. Thanks for reading and enjoy the story!


	2. Part Two: Tensions

Part Two

Part Two

Morning dawned sooner than Miyako would have liked. Shortly after sunrise, Sora knocked on her door, awakening her.

"Good morning!" the redhead said, a bit too cheerful for Miyako's taste. Piyomon behind her rubbed her eyes.

"How can you be so awake?" Hawkmon wondered, sitting up from his sleep at the foot of Miyako's bed.

Sora shrugged. "I can't help it," she replied. "Every time I'm here I just feel so - alive."

Miyako yawned. "I feel exhausted," she half-complained.

"Well, you'd better wake up soon," Sora warned. "We've got to get dressed and meet the King and the Queen and Prince Taichi and Princess Hikari before breakfast."

"Before breakfast?" Miyako asked. "Why can't we eat first?"

"It would be rude," Piyomon explained. "If we don't greet the royal family before breakfast we'll be seen as freeloaders who are just here for the food."

"Besides, don't you want to meet Princess Hikari?" Hawkmon reminded her.

Miyako nodded with a sigh. She slipped into the bathroom, where she found a servant was just finishing drawing her a bath. She thanked the woman and undressed, bathing quickly so she could get started on the complicated process of dressing.

"What does one wear to breakfast?" she asked Sora, who was still in her bathrobe, peering over her trunk.

"Something light, yet simple," the other girl replied. "Formal, but not too fancy." She fumbled through her trunk and finally found a light blue, light weight dress with white trim. "This will work, won't it?"

Piyomon nodded from where she stood perched in front of the mirror, preening her feathers. "It's perfect, Sora."

Miyako frowned momentarily while she thought of her own wardrobe. "I suppose my purple dress will work, right?"

Sora nodded in agreement. "That'll be perfect," she replied. She picked up her clothes and began to undress. "Call me if you need any help," she added as Miyako departed.

***

Daisuke knocked on the door of Ken's room. "I sure hope he slept at least a few hours last night," he commented to V-mon. "The King sure won't like it if he falls asleep in the middle of introductions."

"No, he won't," V-mon agreed.

A few seconds later a visibly tired boy yawned as he opened the door. Daisuke was slightly annoyed and rather frustrated. "Did you sleep?" he demanded of his friend as he burst past him into the room.

"Of course I slept," Ken replied. "A few hours."

"A few hours too little," the other shot back. "Come on. You've got to bathe and dress or we'll be late for the introductions."

"Oh my gosh, I almost forgot," Ken remembered as he dashed to the tub. While he frantically bathed, Daisuke, Wormmon, and V-mon searched through his trunk for a good outfit.

"Purple's always looked good on him," Wormmon nodded appreciatively.

"And dark blue," V-mon agreed as Daisuke held up an outfit. "Perfect."

A few seconds later, Ken dashed out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping wet. "Am I late?" he wondered.

"Relax. There's plenty of time. I've still got to dress," Daisuke assured him. He pointed to the outfit on the bed. "Dry off and change. I'll meet ya in the parlor in five so we can check and make sure you didn't forget anything."

***

(Ten minutes later)

Iori tapped softly on the younger people's doors, hoping they'd be ready in time. He stepped back and waited for them to emerge.

Jun arrived first. Her hair was done up in an almost outrageous fashion, and she dressed in a pale yellow dress with a purple sash around the waist. Iori forced himself not to react to her outfit. Beside him, his Armadimon groaned almost inaudibly.

Though Iori noticed, the two females were oblivious to Armadimon's discomfort. "Don't I look fabulous?" Jun questioned, spinning around slightly. Beside her, Alraumon did the same. Iori gulped slightly, thankful, for once, that he had met Jun before and knew what to expect.

The door of the room next to Jun opened, and Sora, Piyomon, Miyako, and Hawkmon exited, saving the young advisor from a potentially life-threatening situation. Both girls were infinitely better looking then Jun, in his opinion, and he was pleased things were moving along.

"Well, I'm ready," Sora decided. She patted her hair to make sure it was still looking the way it should, and looked over Miyako to make sure she was looking decent enough as well.

"Where is my brother?" Jun wondered. She stepped forward, ready to pound on the door, when suddenly the door opened and the boy in question exited.

Daisuke was dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit - a pair of dark blue pants, a white shirt, and a maroon colored jacket. V-mon next to him had a single bow tied around his neck, making him look adorably cute and dapper.

Miyako and Sora both grinned at the cute blue digimon's accessory and complimented him on it. Jun simply rolled her eyes and looked disgusted.

The last door opened and Ken appeared, still carrying his green companion in his arms. His outfit was similar to Daisuke's only with a darker purple jacket instead of a maroon one. He bowed slightly to the others.

"Sorry for the delay," he apologized simply. The others simply nodded in acknowledgement as they all followed Iori to the main throne room.

Daisuke and Jun's parent's had already presented themselves and had been excused, as Lady Motomiya was still feeling a bit tired from the trip. Lord Motomiya had decided to stay with his wife, and they were taking breakfast in their room.

Miyako was impressed with the throne room. It was most certainly the largest room in the palace. Iori led them through a pair of tall polished wooden doors and down an incredibly long red carpet. At the end of the hall, the King and Queen as well as their digimon, their children, and their children's digimon sat on magnificent thrones.

The King was dressed in a regal outfit, a long red cape flowing behind him. On his right side and slightly behind him was Leomon, one of the strongest digimon in the land. To his left sat his wife, the Queen, and her digimon, an Elecmon which sat on her lap.

To the right of Leomon was a young boy with a wild amount of brown hair. He looked about Sora's age, and Miyako guessed that this must be Prince Taichi. He had a serious face plastered on, but she saw his eyes twinkle happily when he must have noticed Sora. His Agumon sat beside him, also looking rather serious but playful at the same time.

To the left of the Queen was a young girl about Miyako's age. She had short brown hair and light brown eyes, and she was dressed in a simple yet elegant pink dress. Tailmon, her digimon, stood next to her, looking pleased but quite protective. The Princess Hikari looked slightly bored, but pleased when she saw the group of young people enter the hall.

Iori walked first, followed by the Motomiya siblings, who walked side by side. Sora and Miyako fell behind them, and Ken followed, still carrying his digimon.

The leader of the small group stepped forward when they reached the thrones and knelt. Beside him, Armadimon bowed his yellow head. "Your majesty," the boy began.

"Yes Iori?" the King questioned in a booming yet kind-sounding voice.

Iori nodded and stood. "The Lord and Lady Motomiya have sent their children to be presented," he announced, stepping to the side. "May I present Daisuke and Jun Motomiya."

The two siblings stepped forward in unison. Daisuke bowed, Jun curtsied, and then they knelt on the ground. The king nodded, and the siblings rose.

"My digimon, V-mon," Daisuke announced.

"And this is Alraumon," Jun declared.

The King and Queen both nodded, pleased, but said nothing else. Prince Taichi was smiling, but remained silent, as did his sister.

Daisuke and Jun stepped to the side, their digimon following. Nervously, Miyako approached, following Sora's lead.

"Lady Takenouchi's daughter, Sora," Iori announced. Sora curtsied slightly and kneeled momentarily before rising and announcing Piyomon, who bowed as well.

The King and Queen nodded in response, and Sora stepped to the side. Miyako glanced nervously at Hawkmon for a moment before she heard the young man announce her name.

"Lord and Lady Inoue's youngest child, Miyako," Iori stated.

Miyako nervously curtsied and then kneeled. She rose again when she noticed the King and Queen nodding their appreciation.

"And this is Hawkmon," Miyako introduced, pleased to see her voice didn't waver. Hawkmon, always a fan of formalities, stepped beside her and bowed low. The King and Queen nodded again, and Miyako could see a soft smile on the face of the Princess.

"Finally, Ken Ichijouji," Iori concluded. The dark haired young man stepped forward. He bowed low and knelt before rising again. He placed his green digimon on the floor and stepped to the side.

"Wormmon," Ken stated plainly. The green digimon bowed as best he was able before scuttling back to his partner and standing beside him.

'So that's his digimon,' Miyako noted.

The King arose. "Welcome," he told the guests. "It is good to see you again that I have seen before, and those that are new visitors as well." His eyes rested briefly on Miyako before he continued.

He turned to the digimon on his right. "Leomon is my loyal companion and advisor," he stated, and the tall feline bowed low. The King turned to his left. "The woman of my life, and her advisor, Elecmon," he continued. The Queen nodded briefly, and Elecmon in her lap did the same.

"To my right, my son, Taichi, and Agumon," the king continued. Taichi smiled proudly and nodded slightly. Miyako noticed his eyes again smiling in Sora's direction, and noticed a slight blush on her friend's face. "And on my left, the birthday girl, Hikari, my daughter, and Tailmon, her friend and protector."

Hikari blushed slightly and smiled as she nodded.

"Now that the introductions are complete, let us eat," the Queen declared, and the rest of the room agreed.

***

Miyako had expected a grander ceremonial breakfast, but it was a light meal. The party ate in a sunny parlor, and the meal was filled with conversation.

The King sat in the center of the table, his wife beside him. To the right was his son, to the left his daughter. Miyako was seated next to Hikari, and Sora beside her. Jun sat on the left end of the table. To the right of Taichi sat Daisuke and then Ken, and finally Iori on the right end of the table.

"Normally there are more people here for meals," Hikari explained to Miyako as she sat down. "But it's only breakfast, so we wanted to keep it simple. At dinner tomorrow there will be more people."

"Especially when Lord and Lady Ishida arrive," the Queen added. "Along with their sons."

Miyako felt her stomach twist over itself at the thought of meeting more people, but she simply nodded in response to the information.

"Don't worry, they're all very nice people," Sora assured her.

"Especially Yamato," Jun agreed, turning pink as she thought of the boy in question.

Miyako noticed Sora rolling her eyes slightly, but said nothing. "Yamato?" she questioned instead.

"The older Ishida boy," Hikari explained. "He's about Taichi's age, and one of his closest friends."

"The younger is Takeru," Sora continued. "He's your age."

"Who else will be here?" Miyako wondered.

"Probably Lord Jyou," Hikari continued. "He's the palace doctor. Another close friend of my brother."

"And Koushiro?" Sora wondered. At the Princess's nod, she explained. "He's a very talented young man. A wizard type. Brilliant."

Jun nodded but looked bored. "His parents were killed when he was young and he was raised as a commoner," she explained with a snort. "Plain little guy."

"Yes, but very smart," Hikari replied. "And Lady Tachikawa will be here in a few days with Mimi. She's very nice."

Sora nodded. "Mimi is my age," she informed Miyako. "Her father is a workaholic of sorts. You never see him. She travels mainly with her mother."

"There's so many people," Miyako groaned slightly. She was beginning to feel queasy.

"Don't worry," Hikari assured her. "They're all very nice. I'm sure you won't have to worry."

***

Across the table, Ken was finding it difficult to stay awake. Daisuke and Iori were talking with Taichi, and he found his attention wandering from the conversation.

"Ken, are you alright?" he heard Wormmon question. Although the digimon were eating and talking together in another room, his partner had wobbled back to him and was now on the floor at his feet.

"Yeah, just tired," he whispered back. "Get back to the others."

Wormmon nodded reluctantly as he scurried away. Ken drank another glass of orange juice and tried not to fall asleep in his porridge.

***

After breakfast was completed, Jun excused herself to nap. She was still worn out from the night before, she explained as she returned to her room. The King and Queen left to begin the stately duties of the day, and Iori went with them.

The rest of the young people followed Hikari and Taichi out to the grounds.

"I was thinking we could have some archery practice for a while," the young Prince suggested.

"Good idea," Hikari decided. She turned to Miyako. "Have you ever practiced archery?"

"Once or twice," Miyako replied. "I'm not that good at it."

"Don't worry, we'll fix that," Taichi assured her with a grin.

Hawkmon stepped forward as they were turning to depart. "Miyako, I've been invited to head for a tour of the grounds," he informed her. "I shall return by lunch."

Miyako nodded. "Have fun!" she told her partner as he rushed off with the other digimon.

"Archery is really a good skill to know," Taichi was saying as he led the group to the targets. "You never know when you might need to defend yourself and there are no bodyguards around to protect you."

"That's for sure," Sora agreed. "Why, just the other day, Miyako's life was in grave danger. If it wasn't for a friendly but strange young man, she might have been badly injured or even killed."

Miyako blushed slightly. Hikari looked interested. "What happened?" she wondered.

"It's nothing, really," Miyako mumbled.

Taichi was interested. "Your life was in danger?"

Miyako nodded. "I was in the marketplace with Sora, Piyomon, and Hawkmon," she explained. "And a stranger saved me from a wayward arrow."

"A wayward arrow?" Daisuke questioned the use of her words.

"It wasn't wayward! It was deliberately aimed for you!" Sora agreed. "He said so."

"Well," Miyako mumbled.

"He?" Taichi asked his friend.

"This strange man. He was dressed mostly in black and wore a mask," Miyako spoke up. "He saved my life."

"He also said that it's possible someone is after Miyako's life," Sora added.

"How horrifying for you," Hikari stated sympathetically, grasping her new friend's hand in her own.

"It was alright," Miyako explained. "I wasn't injured. He saved me." She found her eyes wandering past the Princess and rested on Ken. He had a similar digimon, she was certain of it. And he had appeared at around the same time.

"Any idea who it could be?" Sora asked Taichi.

Taichi frowned in thought. He remained silent until they reached the archery grounds.

Hikari volunteered to go into a nearby shed where the bows and arrows were stored. She passed them out to the assembled group.

For a few moments, the only sounds were the whizzing of arrows and compliments as the group of young people practiced their shooting.

Daisuke turned to his somewhat more awakened friend as he lodged a perfect bull's eye. "You'd better watch out," he whispered. "The Dark Bandit is known for his sharp shooting."

Ken merely snorted and glared at his friend with a look that warned him to be quiet. But his next few shots were slightly off.

"Any thoughts yet, brother?" Hikari questioned as the group paused in their shooting to retrieve the arrows from the targets.

Taichi vaulted the fence between the archers and the targets. "Just one," he replied. "I've heard Father speak of a Dark Bandit."

"That's him!" Miyako realized. "When I asked the stranger who he was, he said his enemies referred to him as a Dark Bandit!"

Taichi paused behind the fence, arrows still in hand. "We're still not certain of this bandit's intentions," he informed them. He handed a few arrows to Hikari.

"Why not?" his sister questioned.

"His actions have been mixed," the Prince replied. He passed some arrows to Sora and Miyako as he spoke. "Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not."

Daisuke took the arrows from Taichi. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Taichi paused and climbed onto the short wooden fence. "Well, he has helped to free some dangerous criminals, but he has saved a few people's lives as well," he explained.

He held out the last arrows to Ken. "Perhaps there is a meaning behind his actions that you haven't yet deciphered," the dark haired boy speculated. Daisuke shot him a worried glance.

"Most likely," Taichi replied with a shrug, not noticing the glance exchanged. "I don't know all the details."

"Saving lives and liberating criminals seem to be two separate and unlinked actions," Sora noted.

"Maybe he thought the criminals were imprisoned wrongly," Miyako suggested meekly. She was uneager to get involved in the debate, but felt her thoughts must be known.

Taichi nodded. "Perhaps. I don't know all the facts," he replied. "I think that I'll ask Father for more information on the subject." He notched his bow and shot an arrow into the center of the target. "How about a match?" he proposed.

"A match?" Miyako questioned.

"Great idea!" Hikari agreed. "We'll see who's the best archer then!"

The match was underway a short while later. Each competitor would shoot four arrows. Those with the most accurate shots would go on to the next round.

The first round went quickly, and Daisuke was eliminated. Groaning, the redhead hopped the fence to retrieve the remaining arrows, and the next round began.

The archers began the second round. Taichi and Ken scored bull's eyes all four times, Hikari and Sora were next closest with two each, and Miyako scored only one.

"I guess I'm done, then," Miyako decided. She sighed and began to walk around the fence to get the arrows.

"I've got it." Daisuke leapt over the fence and retrieved the arrows before she could continue.

In the third round, Hikari was able to best Sora by one bull's eye, leaving the elder girl to retrieve the arrows. Before Daisuke could move, she had leapt over the fence herself, leaving the boy to stare.

Taichi laughed heartily at his friend's surprise. "Should have known, Daisuke," he reminded him. "Sora's not gonna let you get the better of her."

Daisuke nodded and laughed in agreement.

The fourth round was tough, but Hikari was finally eliminated when the other two boys were able to bull's eye each time, continuing their perfect streak, and she missed one.

"I'll never be as good as you, Taichi," she commented appreciatively as she retrieved the arrows.

"I guess it's just us two, then," Taichi grinned to his opponent. Ken smiled slightly back.

Daisuke stepped up to his friend. "I'd be careful here, Ken," he warned. Ken nodded in acknowledgement but merely brushed the warning aside.

The three girls sat behind the competitors on the grass where they could easily view the match.

Daisuke flopped down beside the Princess and sighed. "We could be here a while," he grumbled.

"I didn't know Ken was so good at archery," Hikari commented.

"He's been practicing," the other explained. He sighed. "I wish he could teach me better."

"You're not that bad, Daisuke," Sora told him. "I've seen you shoot before. You just had an off day."

"Yeah, I have an off day every day," the boy grumbled.

"Hey! We're trying to shoot!" Taichi interrupted. "Could we have quiet?"

As Daisuke predicted, the last round lasted quite a while. Seventeen times the two boys shot their four arrows and hit bull's eyes. Each time they retrieved the arrows and shot again. Daisuke was beginning to tire. He leaned back in the grass and let his eyes droop.

After the nineteenth time, the digimon returned and observed the contest for a bit.

After the twenty sixth shot, Hikari began to wonder if it would ever end.

After the thirty first shot, Miyako's stomach began to growl as lunch neared.

By the thirty fifth shot, Daisuke was desperate. He stood up and marched to his friend.

"Ken, we can't keep this up forever," he pleaded. "Come on!"

Ken narrowed his indigo-colored eyes at his friend and Daisuke argued no further.

"He's being stubborn," the redhead informed the Princess as he returned to the group. "We're lucky if they're done by midnight."

Hikari sighed. "Taichi's just as stubborn," she agreed. "Neither can call it a tie."

"I'm hungry," Miyako half-whined. "I don't want to wait until midnight to eat!"

"Hey!" Taichi shouted again. "I can't concentrate if you're talking!"

As he was yelling, Ken notched his shot and scored another perfect bull's eye. Impressed, but increasingly frustrated, the Prince frowned and aimed his own shot.

His anger and frustration joined with his increasingly tired arm. The shot was off. Only by a slight bit, but enough to sway the contest.

The arrow landed on the line between the bull's eye circle and one of the outer circles.

There was a tense moment of silence. Daisuke held his breath. Ken turned to the Prince. Taichi was silent as well.

"Should we be scared?" Hawkmon whispered to Miyako, who had no idea.

Finally the silence was broken. Taichi stepped forward and held out his hand to his opponent. "Good match," he congratulated.

Daisuke let out his breath, nearly choking as he coughed.

Ken grasped the Prince's hand and shook it. "It was. You are a worthy opponent," he complimented the other. He smiled and bowed slightly, and Taichi did the same.

***

Later that evening, Daisuke paced back and forth across the shared parlor. "Worthy opponent," he grumbled under his breath. "I was sure we were both going to be killed on the spot."

The door to Ken's chamber opened and the boy stepped out, dressed in loose dark pants and shirt. A dark hat with a purple sash around it was in his right hand. "Why would you be killed?" he wondered. "You didn't defeat the Prince in an archery tournament. Besides, Taichi's a good looser. It's his father I'm uncertain of."

Daisuke just sighed as he sat down on a couch. "You're going out again?" he demanded. "Why?"

The other shrugged. "There's still work to be done," he reminded his friend. "Her life is still in danger."

"I'm not sure I get why we're protecting her, anyway. Aren't we supposed to be protesting the King's injustices?"

"Perhaps." Ken shrugged. "She needs to be protected though."

"You're not falling for her are you?"

The Dark Bandit shook his head. "Of course not," he replied. He wrapped the dark cloth that served as a mask over his eyes. "Just doing good, the way I'm supposed to."

"You're going to get killed if you don't watch out," V-mon stated bluntly.

"I wish you wouldn't go out without me. What if there's trouble?" Wormmon questioned.

His partner, now in disguise, knelt before the green digimon. "Don't worry," he assured him. His eyes were soft and kind. "I'll be alright. You need to stay here so that we're not recognized. I promise, as soon as we get back home we'll work together again. Here, it's just too dangerous."

Wormmon nodded. He understood, but wasn't happy about it.

"I'd better go. If I stay much longer I'll get you three in trouble." He turned towards the picture window and opened it.

"If I was gonna be in trouble, it would have happened already," Daisuke commented. He turned towards the window, but Ken was already gone. "I wish he wouldn't do that," he sighed to V-mon.

"Disappear?" V-mon wondered.

"Go out like that at all," Daisuke replied. "He worries me."

"Me too," Wormmon sighed. "Me, too."

***

Miyako stood next to Hikari on a balcony. Jun was already in her room for the night, and Sora was with the Prince. Daisuke and Ken had already decided to retire, which left only her and the Princess together.

"The stars are beautiful," Miyako commented. She had only known Hikari for a few hours, yet she already felt as though she could trust her as much as she did Sora.

"They are," Hikari agreed. She pointed to a building in the distance. "That's the greenhouse," she informed her new friend.

"There are plants there?" Hawkmon asked.

"Yup," Hikari smiled. "That's what they grow in a greenhouse. Rare and beautiful plants."

"Alraumon and Palmon like to go there when they visit," Tailmon explained.

"Palmon is Mimi's digimon," Hikari explained to Miyako's confused look. "She looks a bit like Alraumon."

There was silence for a few moments as the two surveyed the landscape.

"Miyako, you're sixteen already, right?" Hikari questioned. Miyako nodded.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I turn sixteen in two days. I'm kind of nervous," the Princess confessed.

"Why?" Miyako asked again.

Hikari sat down on a nearby chair. "I guess I'm afraid about getting older," she confessed. "Afraid of getting married and stuff."

"You're afraid you'll have a bad husband or something?" Miyako wondered.

"Yes," Hikari replied. "I'm afraid I'm not sure quite yet who I want that to be. What if Mother and Father arrange it for me with someone I don't like?"

"Do you have anyone yet you'd like it to be?" the other questioned.

Hikari blushed slightly. "I like a couple different ones," she replied. "There are quite a few that I'm friends with. I'm not sure if I'd like them as husbands, though."

"Who are they?" Miyako asked. She sat down near Hikari.

"Well," the other began. She blushed again. "I don't like to admit it to many people, but Daisuke is one of them."

"Daisuke?" Miyako repeated.

"My brother would be pleased if I did. He's quite fond of Daisuke."

"But -," Miyako prompted.

"But I'm not sure if I like Daisuke that way. I mean, he's a good friend, but...," she trailed off. "I'm not sure if I'd like to marry him."

Tailmon bristled slightly. "I'm not sure I'd like to either," she agreed. "He's rather loud and obnoxious. Hot headed."

Miyako couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the feline digimon's assessment. "Who else?"

"Well, there's the younger Ishida brother, Takeru," Hikari continued. "He'll be here tomorrow. He's very nice. And Taichi wouldn't mind me marrying him either. He's good friends with Yamato."

Miyako nodded. "But -."

"But, I'm not sure I'd like to marry him either. I've known him forever as a friend. Going past that -," she trailed off slightly again. "I'm just not sure."

"Both my older sisters were married young," Miyako informed the princess. "Momoe, the next youngest after me, was married at fifteen. She thought she was ready, but she isn't happy. I think it's best if we wait as long as possible."

"Fifteen?" the princess paled slightly. "I think I'll wait, too," she agreed.

Miyako yawned. "So will I," she agreed. She stood, stretching her arms. "If you'll excuse me, Princess, I need to get some sleep." She bowed slightly as she turned to leave.

"Miyako," the Princess spoke up. "Thanks for the advice. And, please, call me Hikari."

Miyako smiled. "Certainly," she replied. She bowed slightly as she left, Hawkmon following her. "Good night, Hikari."

"Good-night Miyako," Hikari replied.

***

Far above the two girls, a lone dark figure watched Miyako depart. The Dark Bandit peered over the edge of the building and watched her return to the building. A few minutes later, Tailmon followed her inside.

Hikari stood up and peered over the ledge again. "You can come down now," she stated.

The dark figure paused momentarily.

"There's no use in hiding," she continued. "I know you're there. If you don't come down willingly, I'll have Tailmon out here and you'll come by force."

There was a flutter in the wind and the Dark Bandit was then standing on the balcony ledge. "How might I assist you, Princess?" he questioned, bowing low.

Hikari stepped back from the ledge and faced him. "I want to know what interest you have in Miyako," she demanded.

"Her best interests, your majesty," he replied. "I'm watching out for her."

"Are you going to tell me who you really are?"

He shook his head. "Apologies, Princess, but I cannot."

She frowned. "Why are you watching out for her?"

"An attempt was made on her life," he replied simply. "Since the attempted assassin has not been found, it's logical to assume she's still in danger." He stepped down from the ledge and knelt before her. "Excuse my rudeness, Princess, but I do have a mission."

"Do you know who wants her life?"

The dark bandit remained kneeling. "No," he replied. "That's why I'm watching her."

"Are your intentions good?" she questioned.

"I like to believe so, Princess," he replied.

The princess frowned again. "If my brother finds you around here-," she warned.

"I assure you, my lady, he will not."

She stepped forward and reached out to his face. Against his better judgment, the Dark Bandit remained kneeling and did not move. Hikari lifted his chin so he was facing her. She peered into his dark eyes.

"Can you promise me?"

"I will do my best, Princess. Miyako will not be harmed, and your brother will not know of my existence here tonight." His eyes were kind and soft, but sincere.

Hikari frowned slightly once more. "What reasons have I to trust you?"

"None, your majesty," he replied.

She sighed and stepped away from him. "Very well. If my brother or my father find you, I don't know that I'll be able to help you," she warned him.

"I am aware, Princess," he replied.

"I cannot vouch for the rest of your actions. But where Miyako is concerned, I suppose I have no choice but to trust you."

"As you wish, Princess."

She smiled slightly. "Consider me something of an ally," she explained. "Miyako's safety is my concern as well."

He nodded, smiling back. "Thank you, your majesty."

"Hikari?" a voice called from the inside. Hikari turned to see who it was. She turned back, recognizing the voice.

"That's my brother. You'd better -," she trailed off. The Dark Bandit was already gone.

"Hikari?"

"Out here, brother."

"Ah. There you are. I was getting worried. What are you doing out here?"

"I was talking to Miyako," Hikari replied. "She left, and I was watching the stars."

"And Tailmon?" the Prince wondered.

His sister shrugged. "Around, I suppose. Don't worry, brother. I'm safe."

Taichi nodded nervously. "I know," he replied with a smile. "I'm heading to bed now. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'll be fine," she assured him. With reluctance, he turned to leave.

"Good night, brother," she told him once they were inside again.

"Good night, Hikari," he replied.

***

Yeah! Another part posted. Ff.net stopped being a pain today! ^_^

Well, I'm really happy about all the people who reviewed this story so far! I really appreciate it! 

To anyone who asked me about couples – I think there were a few of you – this will have small and, much later, blatant hints of Kenyako and Daikari. Originally, I was thinking of Takari, but, to be honest, I think Takeru is really really underdeveloped in this story, and a lot of the focus is on Daisuke, after all. I don't dislike Takeru, I just can't write him well. And he's not focused on in this at all. I try not to ignore him but I don't always succeed. 

As for Kenyako? I just like it. The couples will NOT be the main focus of the story at ANY point. If you want romance, go look for romance. This story focuses on the friendship between Ken and Daisuke and a bit on the sibling relationship between Taichi and Hikari. The romances come second to the story. 

That said, I henceforth end my little rant and hope you keep reading. ^_^ Enjoy!


	3. Part Three: An Exciting Battle

Part Three

Part Three

Ken slipped back into the parlor he shared with Daisuke and removed his hat. He shut the window 

and frowned slightly. The confrontation with the Princess had worried him more than he was willing to admit, and he needed to rest.

"You're back already?" Daisuke asked, stepping in from his own chamber.

He nodded with a frown as he removed his mask. "I met someone tonight," he explained.

"Who?" Wormmon wondered, scampering in from Ken's chamber.

"The Princess. She and I had a chat."

"Princess Hikari?" Daisuke's eyes grew large.

"Oh great, now we're doomed," V-mon grumbled, resting his head in his hands.

"Why on Earth did you talk to her?" the redhead questioned.

Ken sighed, unbuttoning his shirt. "I didn't really have a choice," he explained.

"So you were cornered? Great. Here only a day and already my life is over. I thought you were more careful," Daisuke groaned.

"I wasn't cornered," Ken replied. "I was noticed. I was watching her from the room over her balcony. She noticed me and asked me to speak with her."

"Asked to speak with the Dark Bandit?" Daisuke could barely speak.

"Um - Ken? What did you speak about?" Wormmon wondered.

Ken removed his shirt and entered his room. The two digimon and the distraught Daisuke followed him. He searched through his trunk for a clean nightshirt.

"Actually, she told me if I didn't talk with her willingly, she'd make a scene," Ken clarified, recalling the incident. "She wanted to know my intentions. It seems her brother's information this evening didn't do anything to sway her fears."

"Understandable. Taichi's information wasn't very complimentary," Daisuke agreed.

"So what did you tell her?" V-mon asked.

"I told her that I was merely interested in preserving Miyako's safety," Ken recalled. He pulled the loose linen nightshirt over his head. "She seemed to believe my intentions were good and offered herself as an ally."

"An ally?" Daisuke stammered. "Since when do you go around allying with the royal family?"

"I didn't say I would," Ken replied. "The Prince interrupted before our conversation could be completed. She only offered herself as an ally where Miyako is concerned. She said that in any other aspect, she couldn't be expected to offer any help."

"Makes sense," Wormmon noted. "She doesn't know anything else about you."

Ken nodded his agreement.

***

"So?" Miyako wondered, laying on Sora's bed. "How was the evening with the Prince?"

Sora shrugged. She pulled her nightgown over her head and peered into the mirror. "It was alright," she replied.

"Alright? That's it?"

"We just talked for awhile," she replied. "About what's happened since we last saw each other. And a bit about this Dark Bandit guy," she added with a slight frown.

"Oh?"

"Taichi doesn't seem to think his intentions are entirely bad," Sora recalled. She turned on the stool she sat to face the other girl. "He's just afraid he'll be a threat to his father. And he'll defend his father before anyone else."

"How is the Dark Bandit a threat to the King?" Hawkmon wondered. He sat on the floor, staring up at the girls.

"Well, if the Dark Bandit is freeing criminals, he's disagreeing with the King's rule. He could have followers. And if he does, they as a group could be a threat to the kingdom."

"You mean like a revolution?" Piyomon wondered.

"Precisely," Sora replied. "Taichi isn't sure what this guy's intentions are. He's told me that he'd like to have a discussion with him. Sometimes things can be solved through talking. Taichi and his father are wise enough to know that."

Miyako nodded agreement. "I doubt the Dark Bandit will be eager to simply sit down and chat with the King or his son."

"I agree," the elder girl replied. She shrugged. "Something will come of it eventually. In the meantime, let's get some sleep. You're meeting a few more people tomorrow."

***

The next morning, Miyako and Sora awakened mid-morning and joined Jun in their private parlor. Iori knocked on their door and informed them they were invited to breakfast with the Princess and Queen in a sun parlor on the opposite side of the castle. Twenty minutes later, the three girls were bathed and dressed in light, springy dresses and on their way.

They seated themselves around a relatively large round table and began a relatively casual breakfast.

"Mother and I usually have casual breakfasts in this parlor by ourselves," Hikari explained to her guests. "Whenever we have female visitors, we invite them to join us."

"We certainly thank you for the offer," Sora replied politely.

"It's no trouble," the Queen replied. "Now tell us, did you girls sleep well last night?"

"I did," Sora replied. "The beds here are simply dream inducing. I always feel so comfortable here."

"They are very nice," Miyako agreed. "I slept quite well."

Jun frowned slightly. "It was tolerable," she replied with a shrug. "I've not been feeling well lately. Speaking of which, do we have any news from Mother?"

"It seems she's come down with a cold," the Queen replied. "She's decided to spend the day in bed. Hopefully she'll be well in time for tomorrow's get-together."

"Do you think it will be alright if I visit her later?"

"I don't see why not. Lord Jyou, the royal doctor, arrived this morning. He's probably already looking at her."

***

"Mother's not feeling well?" Daisuke asked as he followed his father down the hall.

"No, she has a bit of a cold," Lord Motomiya replied. "She's decided to sleep in today. Hopefully tomorrow she'll feel better. If you'd like, I can arrange you a visit."

"Thank you, Father," Daisuke replied. "Perhaps this afternoon?"

"Perhaps," the Lord agreed.

"Where are we going again?"

"To breakfast," his father replied, reminding Daisuke of the breakfasts the King and Prince usually ate privately in the mornings.

"Right," Daisuke replied. A short period of time later they arrived.

The King and his son were already seated around a round table in a small parlor. "Welcome!" the King greeted his guests.

Daisuke peered around the table. He noted that the Royal doctor, Lord Jyou, and the Ishida brothers were there as well. Takeru grinned at him.

He could almost feel Ken's low groan beside him. Takeru was bearable enough, but he was too cheerful for Ichijouji's taste. He got along considerably better with Yamato, the elder and more serious of the brothers.

"We arrived this morning," Takeru informed Daisuke cheerfully as he sat next to him. "I can't wait for the festivities to start."

***

After breakfast, the young people convened again on the outside grounds. After introductions - mainly to Miyako, who had never met Yamato and Takeru before - they decided to tour the palace grounds while they digested their breakfast.

The group broke off into pairs to travel around. Taichi walked first, with Sora beside him. Hikari followed, Miyako next to her. Jun grabbed Yamato's arm, to his apparent discomfort. Takeru joined Ken and Daisuke, to the dark haired boy's discouragement.

"Jun!" the Queen called, stepping outside. "Didn't you say you wished to see your mother?"

"Oh! Yes! Thank you!" Jun rushed inside to aid the ailing Lady. Daisuke turned to follow. Ken gripped his arm tightly.

"Do. Not. Leave me. With him," he whispered.

"Daisuke, you should let your sister be alone with her Mother for a bit," Takeru agreed, not noticing Ken's obvious discomfort.

Reluctantly, Daisuke agreed. As a result of the evened out numbers, Ken decided to walk beside Yamato instead.

"Close one," Yamato commented. Ken nodded his agreement.

"I'll say," he replied for an entirely different reason.

The tour continued pleasantly enough as Taichi led the group of six around the palace and its grounds, pointing out the royal gardens, the greenhouse Hikari had pointed out to Miyako, the archery targets they had used the day before, the throne room they had been in the morning before, the parlors they had eaten in, the kitchen, the several different halls and parlors and the library, and the royal family's private rooms.

"Keeping yourself out of trouble?" Yamato questioned as he walked beside Ken. The two had already seen the castle many times, and paid more attention to their conversation.

"Absolutely," Ken replied, smiling slightly. Yamato knew nothing about his secret life as a Bandit, but he was aware that the younger boy was not all that he appeared.

"Somehow I doubt this," the blond boy commented.

The other merely shrugged. "I didn't notice your parents," he noted, changing the subject. "Did you come alone?"

"We did," the elder boy replied. "Mother has been feeling unwell, and Father has much work to do." He frowned slightly. "I'm afraid they haven't been very agreeable to each other lately," he confessed.

"Pity," Ken replied with only slight empathy. His own parents had become strangers to him six years ago, and he didn't know much of the Ishida's problems.

Yamato shrugged. "I suppose," he replied. "How is the Motomiya family treating you? Daisuke's more tolerable than his sister, I assume."

"Infinitely," Ken agreed without a hint of sarcasm. "We get along better as time goes on."

Yamato nodded. "He's alright," he agreed.

"Grows on you," the other answered.

"Ah." Yamato noted the females walking in front of them. "This new girl," he began.

"Miyako?"

"Yes. What about her?"

Ken shrugged slightly. "Miyako Inoue. Youngest daughter. Sixteen. Traveled here with us."

Yamato nodded. "That's not what I meant."

"You didn't mean what I think you meant."

"What if I did?" His blue eyes twinkled with amusement at his friends discomfort.

"Then I might have to hurt you."

Yamato let out a hearty chuckle. "I didn't know you had it in you, friend," he commented.

"I don't," Ken half-snapped. Yamato had a strange sense of humor.

The elder boy didn't reply. "Taichi told me you bested him in archery," he commented, changing the subject again.

"Yes. I did. It was a good competition."

"So I heard. You're lucky he was in a good mood," Yamato replied. "I remember the first time I beat him in a foot race. He tackled me to the ground and punched me in the nose." He touched his nose lightly as though he could still feel the pain.

Ken smiled somewhat, but said nothing.

***

"It's a beautiful palace," Miyako told the royal siblings appreciatively. "Thank you for the tour."

"It was our pleasure," Taichi replied with a smile. "But now I think it's time for lunch." He patted his stomach.

"Indeed, the noon hour comes soon," Hikari agreed. "What say we have a picnic prepared?"

"Great idea," Sora agreed.

Hikari turned to the others behind them. "All agreed for a picnic?" she asked.

Yamato shrugged pleasantly. "Sure. Why not?"

Ken did the same. "Fine with me."

"A picnic? Ooh, that'll be great," Takeru cheered.

"Picnic sounds good. As long as there's food," Daisuke agreed.

And so, less than thirty minutes later, the group and their digimon were seated outside on the lawn, eating sandwiches from a picnic basket. Miyako was interested to see Takeru and Yamato's digimon, a Patamon and a Gabumon, respectively, both of which she had never seen before.

"I don't look very impressive, but I'm loyal," Patamon explained proudly.

"You sure are," Takeru agreed. "You're a great friend."

"All digimon are," Yamato agreed sensibly.

"I'm a good friend, right Yamato?" Gabumon questioned. His partner handed him a sandwich and threw an arm over his back.

"Of course," he replied with a grin.

Miyako glanced appreciatively at Hawkmon, who was eating beside her. He was most definitely a good friend.

Ken was busy feeding a sandwich to Wormmon, when he suddenly felt somewhat nervous. He glanced towards Daisuke, but the boy was engaged in a conversation with V-mon and didn't notice him.

Quickly, the dark haired boy lifted his digimon close to his mouth. "If anyone notices I'm gone, tell them I wasn't feeling well and went inside," he told his partner.

"You're going?" Wormmon wondered.

"Something's going to happen, I know it," Ken replied. "We're sitting ducks here. I'm going to try to change that. Let Daisuke know." With that, he was gone.

Wormmon sighed in disappointment but returned to his sandwich.

A few minutes later, there was a scream as an arrow lodged itself in a nearby tree trunk. Hikari stared in shock.

"An arrow!" Taichi shouted. "Quick! Everyone, to cover!" He looked around and noted that the greenhouse was the nearest building. "Hurry!" he shouted. "To the greenhouse!"

There was a flurry of yelling and feet as the group rushed quickly towards the greenhouse. Another arrow flew and lodged itself in the grass directly in front of Miyako's feet. Startled, she fell backwards and landed in the grass.

Daisuke was behind her in an instant. "It's alright, I've got you," he said, helping her up. "I'll keep you safe."

"Thanks, Daisuke," Miyako stammered. Hawkmon, V-mon, and Wormmon were there an instant later.

A dark figure landed itself a few feet away. He wore a dark cloak and a hood that covered his face entirely.

"Oh my goodness," Daisuke stammered. "That's not -."

"That's the enemy!" Wormmon squeaked.

Daisuke swore under his breath. "We've got to get out of here."

V-mon agreed. "C'mon!" he shouted, pulling his partner by his hand and dragging him towards the greenhouse.

"I'm coming!" Daisuke replied. He clutched Miyako's hand, pulling her behind him as well. He scooped up Wormmon in his arms and ran as quickly as he could towards the greenhouse. Hawkmon flapped quickly behind them.

A few feet behind them, another arrow lodged itself near the "enemy's" feet. Another dark figure landed a few feet away from the first. This one wore a dark hat with a purple sash.

"The Dark Bandit," Sora breathed in awe from the relative safety of the greenhouse just as Miyako, Daisuke, Wormmon, V-mon, and Hawkmon entered.

"What happened to Ken?" Takeru wondered.

Daisuke shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he replied, catching his breath.

"We should go find him," Taichi stated.

"He could be out there alone," Yamato agreed.

"No!" Daisuke shouted a little too loudly. He coughed nervously. "Um. I mean that there's no reason to risk ourselves looking for him. Ken can take care of himself. Right?" He turned to Wormmon in his arms for reassurance.

Wormmon nodded. "Ken will be fine," he replied without much conviction.

"Yeah," Daisuke agreed. "See? Fine."

"I'm wondering about those two guys, though," Takeru noted. He peered through the windows. "The one guy you said is a Dark Bandit, but what about the other guy?"

"He doesn't look friendly," Hikari agreed.

***

The Dark Bandit observed his enemy carefully. "Who are you and what do you want with Lady Miyako?" he questioned.

"That is none of your concern," the other figure replied in a gruff, low voice. He, too, was dressed entirely in black, but without a hat. Instead, a dark hood covered his head, obscuring his face entirely.

"It is of my concern. You're putting an innocent life in danger," he replied.

"You are standing in my way. Prepare to be eliminated," the hooded figure replied.

The Dark Bandit didn't replied. A moment later, the figure wielded a sword. His opponent produced one as well.

***

"Great," Daisuke grumbled to himself. "Ken's not that great at swords."

"What was that?" Yamato questioned, standing behind him.

"Nothing," Daisuke replied. "I was just saying that I really do hate swords."

"Why?" V-mon wondered. Daisuke made a mental note to bonk his partner over the head when they were alone.

"They're sharp. And, um, I'm not that good at it," he improvised.

"Right," Yamato replied, shrugging and turning back to the fight.

The two fighters were fighting aggressively. The figure with the hood had an obvious advantage at the sword, but the Dark Bandit was holding his own.

"This is ridiculous," Taichi grumbled. "We can't just sit here. We've got to do something."

"But what can we do?" Yamato wondered. "We're not even sure who's on our side."

"Yes we do!" Miyako replied. "The one with the hat is on our side. I'm sure of it!"

"It's true," Sora agreed. "He saved Miyako's life once before."

"But then who's the other guy?" Takeru wondered.

"That's a very good question," Daisuke mumbled.

Hikari grasped Taichi's arm. "Brother, I think the Dark Bandit is on our side," she told him. "If you wish to be of assistance, I think we should support him."

The hooded figure swung his sword at his opponent, and the Dark Bandit jumped back, avoiding the blade. He swung his own at the figure, and metal met metal with a vicious clank.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Hikari," Taichi confessed. "But we need to know more about what's going on here."

"It would help if we knew more about this Bandit guy. Or his opponent," Yamato agreed.

"I don't think they're willing to tell us all that much about themselves," Daisuke commented dryly. "They're both wearing masks."

Another clank turned the group's heads towards the fighting, as the swords clashed again. The red figure swung again, and the Dark Bandit jumped back again. He wasn't as swift this time, and the sword cut across his left shoulder. A trickle of red blood drizzled out.

Daisuke was glad he was holding Wormmon, as he was easily able to clamp a hand over the little digimon's mouth in case he yelled out something upon seeing the injury. V-mon himself was looking rather distressed. Daisuke began to sweat anxiously. Ken had never been injured before!

"If we're going to do something, we'd better do it now before someone gets killed," Miyako shouted.

The Prince was inclined to agree. He looked around the greenhouse for something he could use. Propped up against one of the walls were a spare bow and a single arrow. "This'll work," he decided.

"You're not going to hurt them?" Hikari wondered.

"Nah. I'm a decent shot. I'll just scare him off." He turned to his partner digimon. "Ready to help?"

"You bet!" Agumon replied eagerly.

"Alright. As soon as I've distracted him, the rest of you have to run out there," the Prince ordered. "Shout and scream. Wave swords. Just get him out of there. Hopefully he'll be scared off before any actual fighting takes place between us."

Yamato nodded in agreement and drew his weapon. Daisuke put Wormmon on the ground and lifted a sturdy stick from the floor. Sora did the same. Takeru removed his own sword.

"You two stay here," Taichi ordered his sister and Miyako. "It's safer." Neither girl objected.

"Be careful, Sora," Miyako warned.

"Ready Agumon?" Taichi questioned.

"Ready."

"Good. Go ahead."

Agumon leaned his head back and opened his mouth. "Baby Flame!" he announced, and fire blew from his mouth, lighting the end of the arrow aflame. Taichi took aim.

The Dark Bandit narrowly avoided another sword swipe. Suddenly, there was a shout from the direction of the greenhouse. The tree above him was aflame. From the greenhouse came Sora, Yamato, Takeru, Daisuke, and their digimon. All were shouting and waving sticks and swords.

Both bandits took the cue. The Dark Bandit quickly ran off in the direction of the palace, and his opponent bounded over the wall. Both were long gone before the group arrived.

***

Wincing, Ken placed the wet cloth on his arm and lowered himself onto his bed. "Rather foolish of me," he grumbled to himself. "Getting into a sword fight. I should have practiced more at that."

He sighed slightly and sank back, a ruthless headache beginning to form in his skull.

There was a knock at the door that faced the outside. He groaned and pulled the cloth off his arm. He pulled a shirt over it to hide the wound and made his way to the door.

Daisuke stood outside, holding Wormmon. Miyako was with him. He squinted at them blankly.

"You shouldn't have left in such a rush," Daisuke told his friend with a slight wink that was barely noticeable.

"Wormmon said you were getting a headache. You could have at least said something," Miyako scolded him in agreement. "We were all concerned."

"I'm sorry I worried you," he replied, bowing slightly.

Miyako shrugged somewhat. "It's alright," she replied. "I just needed to make sure you were alright." She bowed and turned to leave. "Sorry to intrude."

The moment she was gone, Daisuke shut the door quickly and set Wormmon on the bed. "Are you alright?" he asked, anxiously.

Ken had already removed his shirt and replaced the wet cloth. "Surviving," he replied. "I think it was my pride that was more hurt. That was the sloppiest fight I've ever been in."

"You haven't been in many," Daisuke reminded him. "Most of your previous work has been in stealth. Let me see."

Reluctantly, Ken removed the wet cloth and allowed his friend to examine him. "Did anyone suspect?"

"Not that I know of. I almost blew it to Yamato, though," he confessed, telling of his near slip of the lip.

"Good save," the other complimented with a wince as Daisuke dabbed the cloth at the wound.

"Sorry. It's gonna hurt a bit. I wish we could have Lord Jyou take a look at this."

"No such luck, pal," Ken replied. "Anyone sees me with a wound like this and it's all over. I don't need to risk being discovered now. Not when I'm so close."

Wormmon snuggled next to his partner and put his head in his lap. "Are you sure you're alright, Ken?"

"You're lucky I was holding the little guy when you got hurt," Daisuke told him as he handed him the cloth to reapply over the wound. "He nearly screamed out your name." He turned to leave the room.

"It was a bit traumatic," Wormmon agreed.

Ken nodded. "I'll try to be more careful," he apologized. He petted his partner slightly. "I'm safe, though. Don't worry."

V-mon stood on the floor nearby, a concerned look in his eyes as well. "Daisuke was worried, too," he offered. "He was sweating enough to fill an ocean."

"Very funny," Daisuke commented as he reentered the room. "It was frightening. I'd never seen him injured in a fight before," he defended himself.

"It's alright, you guys. I'm fine," Ken assured.

"I'm sure. Just let me bandage this. If we're lucky, no one else will notice it," the other boy replied as he opened a small box. Since Ken had begun having a secret identity with such a dangerous occupation, he'd begun keeping a box of medical supplies. This was the first time he'd had to use the items inside, however.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Of course. The old woman who gave me this stuff was pretty knowledgeable. She gave me some rags for bandages, some herbs for healing, and some funky other stuff for stomach aches."

"Stomach aches?"

"Yeah. Just in case, I dunno, you got poisoned or eat some bad meat or something," Daisuke shrugged. He removed a healing salve and a strip of cloth.

"Poisoned? How would I get poisoned?"

"I don't know! It could happen."

Ken winced slightly as his friend applied the healing salve to the wound. It burned slightly. "Are you sure it's supposed to hurt?"

"Yup. She said it was going to sting a little. That means it's working," the other replied.

"You've been spending too much time with Takeru," Ken informed his friend. "You're being too cheerful."

Daisuke only chuckled in reply as he replaced the jar of healing salve in his box. He began to bandage the arm. "You should try and stay off it for a few days and give it a chance to heal," he advised.

Ken looked at him with narrowed eyes. It was that dangerous look Daisuke recognized as meaning '_back off._' "I can't stay off it," he replied. "Miyako's even more in danger now."

Daisuke sighed as he tied the cloth tightly. Ken winced slightly. "Sorry," he apologized. He stood up and picked up the box. "I really think you are falling for Miyako."

Ken just groaned and laid down again. "Daisuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

The other just laughed again as he reentered the room. "Want me to wake you for dinner?"

"Yeah, I guess. I've got ahuge headache right now. I need to rest if I'm gonna get anything done tonight."

"Tonight?" Daisuke squeaked.

"I can't rest, Daisuke, I told you that. There's too much to do."

"Whatever," the boy replied. "I'll call you for dinner."

"Daisuke?"

"Yeah?" He stuck his head back in the room.

Ken lifted his aching head a moment. The pain was visible for a moment in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "Thanks for helping me."

Daisuke shrugged. "It's what friends are for, Ken," he reminded him.

Ken shrugged as well. "Thanks anyway, alright?"

"Alright," the other boy replied. "See you for dinner."

Ken just groaned as he rolled over and buried his head in his pillow.

***

"I'm glad everything has calmed down since this afternoon," Sora commented. She, Hikari, and 

Miyako were seated on the balcony. Taichi was with the Ishida brothers, and Jun and Daisuke were with their mother. Ken was apparently still recovering from his headache.

"So am I," the Princess agreed. "That was certainly a scare."

"That's for sure," Hawkmon agreed.

"I really wish we knew who that other bandit was," Miyako mused. "I'm sure he must have been the same who attacked me in the marketplace."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was," Sora agreed. "The question is, why?"

"If we knew who he was, that might help," Piyomon noted.

"Yeah, but we're no closer to either answer," Tailmon replied with a sigh. "This is most frustrating."

"That it is," Hikari agreed. "If only there was more of a clue."

"Well, Sir Koushiro is examining the arrows since his arrival late this afternoon," Sora reminded her. "Perhaps he'll be able to get some clues from them."

"Perhaps," Miyako agreed. She yawned. "I think I should turn in," she informed her friends. She turned to Hawkmon. "Coming?"

"Indeed I am," Hawkmon replied, trailing after her.

"I think I'll come, too," Sora stated, standing.

Hikari stood as well. "Actually, Sora, I was wondering if I could speak with you alone?"

Sora paused. "Certainly," she replied. "I'll be along in a minute," she told Miyako. Piyomon nodded, following the other two as well.

Hikari nodded. "Thank you," she replied, stepping over to the wall. She nodded to Tailmon, who followed Piyomon and Miyako back inside the castle.

"What can I do for you, Hikari?" Sora questioned.

"Actually, it's about Miyako and this Dark Bandit," Hikari replied. "I had a conversation with him last night."

"A conversation?" Sora gasped.

Hikari nodded as she told the details of the previous night. Sora gasped again.

"So no clue as to his identity?" she wondered.

"No," Hikari replied with a sigh. "And this afternoon didn't satisfy my curiosity any further. I'm convinced now, though, that he's right in protecting Miyako. That's why I need your help."

"Miyako's my friend," Sora replied with conviction. "I'll do everything I can to protect her."

"There's more than that," Hikari explained. "I think that between the two of us, we should try to be certain she is never alone. Besides Hawkmon, I mean."

Sora nodded in agreement. "Consider it done. If this Dark Bandit is as good as he says he is, he's my ally, too."

"There's one more thing," Hikari continued. "I think that Miyako should be kept in the dark about this. We don't need to worry her anymore than she already is."

"Understood," Sora replied.

"Thank you, Sora. I knew I could trust you," the Princess smiled. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night. And Happy Birthday, Princess."

"Thank you. Good night."

***

Sora slipped back into the castle, and Hikari settled down into a chair again, looking out once more at the stars.

"One day, your majesty, you'll be a magnificent leader," a voice stated from behind her.

She turned, startled, to see the Dark Bandit standing on the balcony wall behind her. She smiled slightly.

"Thank you for the compliment," she replied. "I didn't expect to see you tonight."

"I thought your majesty would like to continue last night's conversation." He offered a half smile as he dropped from the wall and bowed low. "It appears you're trying to put me out of a job."

She shook her head. "Just giving you a rest. Are you alright?"

He shrugged slightly and touched his left arm reflexively. "Nothing that won't heal, Princess."

"Are you certain? I could have the doctor look at it," she began.

He shook his head and held up a hand. "Thank you, but no, majesty," he replied. "You know as well as I do that is a bad idea."

She nodded reluctantly and sighed. "True. What do you know about your adversary?"

"Not much, my lady," he replied. "Only that he is a good swordsman and a bad conversationalist. I don't even know what to call him."

"You were lucky, today," she agreed.

He nodded. "I'm indebted to your brother, my lady. I hope he knows that."

"I'm certain he does," the Princess replied. "As we are to you. I don't know what would have happened today if you hadn't showed up." She shuddered slightly.

"It was a stroke of luck and good timing, your majesty."

"I wish I had more information for you," she apologized. "As an ally, I feel somewhat useless."

"You are useful enough, your majesty," he assured her. "It is useful to have allies of any sort." He smiled. "If you'll excuse me, Princess, I should be going." He bowed deeply.

She nodded. "Of course." She glanced towards the palace. "I should go in, too. I suppose I'll see you again soon?" She turned back towards the balcony, but her visitor had already departed. With a smile, Princess Hikari returned to her chambers so she could rest for the celebration the next day.

***

Miyako had just pulled her nightgown over her head when she heard a noise from the large picture window in her bedroom. She walked over and flung open the windows, stepping on to the small balcony.

"I was hoping you'd still be awake," a voice greeted. She started momentarily and turned to see none other than the Dark Bandit standing on her balcony wall.

"You," she whispered. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, Lady Miyako. Just to reassure you," he replied. He bowed slightly and stepped on to the floor just a few inches from her.

She stepped back reflexively and then remembered what had happened earlier. "Are you badly injured?" she asked, stepping forward again.

He bowed again and smiled kindly. "Nothing serious, my lady," he replied. "No need to worry. It is your life that is in danger. Not mine."

"If you're set on protecting me, you're at risk as well," she retorted sensibly. "Which brings me to my question. Why? And who is after me?"

"I protect you because you need it, my lady," he replied, bowing for the third time in as many replies. "And as for our opponent, that I do not know."

"Please, do me a favor. Don't bow so much. You make me nervous."

He smiled slightly. "As you wish, Lady Miyako," he replied, refraining from bowing.

"You know nothing about him?"

"Only that he's a worthy adversary, Lady," he answered politely.

She sighed. "Do you know of any reason why somebody would be after me?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't, my lady," he replied. "I was hoping that you'd know."

She shook her head in response. "No. My parents didn't know either when I asked them." She turned and peered out over the balcony. "My parents have lived at the manor peacefully since before I was born. As far as I know they haven't-," she turned back towards the visitor, but he was gone already. With a sigh, Miyako reentered her room.

From the roof, the Dark Bandit watched as she went back inside. He frowned. "So far," he whispered. "This isn't going anywhere."

***

Things appear to be at a standstill now, after the first exciting battle. Who is the dark hooded guy who is really good at swords? You'll have to keep reading to find out. Don't worry. More exciting battles and other dramatic type stuff to come. 

Thanks for reading!


	4. Part Four: Emotional Issues and Another ...

The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part Four

Wormmon rejoiced when he saw the figure return through the large picture window. "You're back!" he cheered.

His partner smiled kindly and sat on the bed, removing his mask and hat. "It was a quiet night," he explained. "Is Daisuke back yet?"

"No," Wormmon replied. "He didn't even notice you were gone."

"I hope his mother isn't too sick," Ken commented as he began to change back to his original clothes. He had just finished when a light knock came at his door. He opened it to find Jun standing outside.

"I'm not quite certain why, but Mother wishes to see you," she informed him. "I suggest you hurry."

He nodded. "Should I bring Wormmon?"

"I don't care. She requested you."

He shrugged. "Very well." He turned back to his partner. "Will you be alright for a bit?"

Wormmon nodded. "I'll be fine," he replied confidently. Ken nodded.

"Good. Be back in a little while."

He left his room and headed for Lady Motomiya's chamber.

***

Miyako rushed into Sora's chamber. "Sora! You'll never guess what just happened!"

"What?" Sora wondered, startled so that her heart nearly stopped beating.

"He visited me! The Dark Bandit!"

"What?"

***

Ken tapped lightly on the bedroom door. A moment later, he heard Daisuke's voice call: "Come in." He opened the door and entered.

"You wanted to see me, Lady?" he questioned.

Lady Motomiya rested on the bed. She looked a lot better than he had expected. Slightly pale, but well. "Yes," she replied softly. "Come in, Ken."

He entered the room. Daisuke nodded towards his mother and walked past his friend, exiting. Curiously, Ken stepped closer to the bed and stood at its foot.

"Have a seat, Ken."

As she had requested, he sat on the chair next to the bed that Daisuke had vacated. "Is something wrong?" he wondered.

The Lady shook her head. "No," she replied. "I just wanted to see you."

"Why?"

"You are like one of my children, Ken," she told him. "You know that."

He looked at his feet. "I thank you for taking me in, Lady Motomiya," he replied politely. "I'm sorry if I've been a burden at all."

She reached a pale hand out to him and took his hand in her own. "You've not been a burden," she told him. He peered at her face again. "You've been anything but." She sighed slightly. "I'm so sorry for all that has happened to you in the past. You will always be welcome with us."

Ken blinked. "Thank you," he answered. "I'm grateful for your hospitality. If there's ever anything I can do to repay you, just let me know."

Lady Motomiya smiled. "Actually, there is one thing," she replied.

Ken frowned slightly but nodded. "Anything you wish," he stated, bracing himself for whatever it might be.

"I need you to watch after Daisuke."

He blinked, startled. "That's it?"

"I know it doesn't seem like much, but I've been worried about him. With all this Dark Bandit stuff I've been hearing about, I'm worried even more," the woman confessed. She coughed a few times.

Ken blinked again and smiled. "Don't worry," he assured his guardian. "I won't let anything hurt Daisuke."

She smiled and coughed again. "I fear that I'm very sick," she told him. "My husband has promised me that you'll always be at home with our family. If I go, I need you to watch Daisuke for me."

He frowned. "Lady, you're not dying," he protested. His voice cracked, and tears were forming in his eyes. He didn't brush them away.

"Ken, I need to face facts. Be strong, please? I know that my children can't accept it. But you can, I know you can."

He nodded weakly. "I'll try," he whispered.

She coughed again. "Promise me you'll keep my son safe," she told him.

"I promise." His voice cracked even more. A few tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'll keep Daisuke safe."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"Only Daisuke?" he wondered, sniffling slightly.

She smiled slightly and coughed once more. "Jun will have her father," she explained. "But Daisuke, he'll try to carry the burden himself. Take care of him for me."

"I'll do my best, Madam," he replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Ken. I knew I could count on you." Lady Motomiya coughed again. "Now, let me rest for a bit. I need to sleep."

"Shall I come see you again tomorrow?"

She smiled. "That would be nice, Ken. I would like it very much."

***

Daisuke was waiting for him in the corridor. His eyes were wet as well. Ken remembered that he'd promised to be strong. He took a deep breath and dried his own eyes before he met his friend.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Daisuke nodded, sniffling slightly. "She doesn't say anything, Ken, but I think she's dying. I think she knows she is."

His friend sighed and put an arm over his shoulder. "It's alright, Daisuke," he assured his friend.

Daisuke let his tears flow. He hugged his friend and cried loudly for a few minutes. V-mon looked on helplessly at first and then gripped his partner's leg, sniffling himself.

Ken gulped a few times and blinked hard so he wouldn't cry. _'I've got to be strong,'_ he reminded himself. _'For Daisuke.'_ Awkwardly, he patted his friend on the back. "It's alright," he told him again.

After a few minutes, Daisuke wiped his eyes and pulled away, sniffling. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.

Ken smiled weakly. "It's nothing, really," he replied. "Come on. Let's go back to the room."

***

Daisuke frowned when he heard of that evening's occurrences. "Princess Hikari I understand, but why on earth did you contact Miyako?"

"She's the one we're trying to protect," Ken reminded him. "It would help the process if she wasn't afraid of me. Besides, I thought she might know something."

"Did she?"

"No. Not a thing. The whole evening was very unproductive. The only thing I know is that Sora and Hikari have promised to protect Miyako and not tell her about it. So I've got two allies."

"And me!" Daisuke reminded him, slightly insulted.

"Of course," Ken replied. "I knew that. I meant besides you."

The redheaded boy frowned. "I really wish that I could help more," he grumbled. "I feel so useless."

"Princess Hikari has the same worries," he assured his friend. "I'm not feeling very helpful right now either. Perhaps I should take advantage of my allies and get some rest."

"Probably," Daisuke replied. "Hey, let me see your arm. We should probably change the bandage."

"I'm actually most worried about tomorrow," Ken confessed. "She'll be even more of an easy target at the party than she was at the picnic."

Daisuke frowned as he removed the covering cloth. "You can't not go," he replied.

Ken sighed. "I know. I'd be missed too much. I wish I could be in two places at once."

"You don't have to be, remember? You've got allies. Besides, everyone is concerned for Miyako's safety."

"Yeah, but at a party, there's not much they can do," Ken reminded him. "Ouch," he winced.

"Sorry," Daisuke apologized as he applied the wet cloth to the wound. "It's still pretty bad, but I think it'll heal well."

"I've got an idea."

"What?"

"You have a ceremonial sword, right?"

"Yes -," Daisuke replied nervously.

"Wear it tomorrow."

"What?"

"Please? It'll make you look good, and you'll be able to defend Miyako in an instant."

Daisuke sighed. "I'm not that good at sword fighting," he reminded his friend as he reapplied the healing salve.

"You're better than I am!" Ken retorted. "Come on, you said you wanted to be useful!"

He sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "If you give your word on one thing."

"What?" Ken got the feeling he was making way too many promises lately. Sooner or later he'd run into one he couldn't keep.

"Get some sleep tonight."

He sighed in response. "Alright. I'll sleep."

"Good." Daisuke retied the bandage tightly, making his friend wince in pain again. "Now sleep. Good night!"

"Nite!" V-mon called, following him out.

***

"Daisuke - er -I mean masked guy, uh, why are we here again?" V-mon whispered.

"We need to watch Miyako. And the Dark Bandit needs to sleep. So we're taking over for him," Daisuke explained for the umpteenth time. He was wearing Ken's spare mask and carrying his own sword, but was dressed in his usual clothes.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, you don't even have a name!" the blue digimon protested.

Daisuke shrugged. "Look, I'm not going to fight. If I see that evil type guy again I'll just distract him while you run back and wake up -Ke- er - the Dark Bandit. He'll get here in time to help out. I hope."

"And what if he doesn't?" V-mon demanded.

"I don't know!" Daisuke half-shouted. "Look, it was a flawed plan and I'm risking my own neck, alright? But it's the best I could do."

V-mon sighed and shrugged. "As long as you admit it," he replied.

"Anyway, I don't think that guy will show up. He'll probably be here at the party tomorrow. There's too many guards around right now," Daisuke assured his partner, gesturing to the courtyard below him, where a guard was patrolling that very moment.

"Great. So I'm out here loosing sleep because of some guy that won't show up. Can't we just go to bed?"

"I can't right now," Daisuke replied. "I'm too worried about Mother."

V-mon didn't reply right away. "Daisuke," he began cautiously. "If you get yourself killed it won't help your mother."

The boy shrugged. "I'm not trying to get myself killed," he replied. "I'm trying to help out."

"Is that so?" another voice questioned. Daisuke felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't like the sound of that voice. Slowly, he turned to see who had spoken. Before he could turn all the way around, however, something hit him hard on the back of the head.

V-mon was off and running before Daisuke hit the roof. Thankfully, in the darkness, the other guy didn't notice the blue digimon running for safety.

***

Ken sat up abruptly in bed, a cold sweat running down his forehead. Wormmon was at his side in an instant. "Ken?"

Breathing heavy, the boy took a moment to collect himself. "There's trouble," he replied before jumping out of bed.

"Trouble?"

"I'm not sure who, or what, or where, but I know there's a problem," Ken replied. "Wormmon. We've got to go."

Wormmon nodded, unwavering.

A few seconds later, Ken was dressed and ready. He grabbed Wormmon in his arms and opened the picture window. "Are you sure it's a good idea for me to come?" the digimon questioned.

"No," the Dark Bandit replied. "But I've got to risk it."

"Very well," Wormmon replied. "Sticky Net!"

Within seconds, a thin rope formed between the roof and the window. Wormmon gripped tightly to his partner's back as he began to climb to the roof.

***

V-mon huddled in the shadows. He didn't know how to get back to the ground without his partner, and he didn't know how to stop the intruder. He watched him as he gracefully leapt from the roof to a nearby tree branch.

Satisfied that all was safe, the blue digimon rushed back to his partner. Daisuke was motionless and unconscious. A large red bruise was forming on his neck.

"Daisuke!" a voice shouted, shocked.

V-mon shook his head frantically at the Dark Bandit. "Don't worry about us!" he shouted back. "That - guy! He's in the tree!"

Eyes locked in steely determination, the Dark Bandit picked up Daisuke's sword and placed it in his belt. Then he removed an arrow from the holder on his back and his bow from his shoulder. He notched an arrow, and despite his anger and overwhelming feelings of anger, he notched a perfect shot.

Unfortunately, his opponent saw the arrow coming and was able to dodge just enough to escape the shot. The Dark Bandit dropped both his arrows and his bow and turned to his partner. "Stay here. Watch him," he ordered both digimon, and leapt down into the tree.

Brandishing Daisuke's sword, a fight was underway with in minutes. The anger of the Dark Bandit made his strength increase, but his accuracy declined. Still, with the rage and fury of one whose friend had fallen, he fought on.

The opponent was able to block each and everyone of his strikes, but had no chance to counter attack. Instead, the Dark Bandit pushed on until finally his enemy was standing at the edge of a branch, teetering above the ground.

Breathing heavily, he prepared to strike again.

The opponent merely laughed. "Foolish," he mocked. "Your anger has gotten in the way of your fight." He bowed mockingly. "Another time, perhaps."

Enraged, the Dark Bandit swung his sword again, but the other had dashed away before the blade reached its target.

Breathing heavily, the Dark Bandit felt his tiredness. He returned to the roof, hoping that no one nearby had noticed the fight.

"Are you alright?" Wormmon asked. He ignored his partner, turning instead to his best friend.

"Daisuke?"

"What will we do?" V-mon wondered.

The Dark Bandit sighed. "There's only one thing to do. I can't take care of him. It's too bad a bruise. He needs a doctor."

"So where will you take him?" Wormmon wondered.

"To the Princess," he replied. "If she's a true ally, she'll help him. Of course, I'm sure that she will. Daisuke is innocent, in her eyes."

***

Hikari awakened, startled, to a knock at her window. She peered over to see the Dark Bandit standing on her balcony.

With a gasp, she jumped up and opened the window. He didn't enter. Instead he held out something in his arms. "Please. Help him," he

pleaded, pain in his eyes.

Hikari gasped again. "Daisuke," she whispered. She noticed V-mon below. "What happened?"

V-mon sniffled. "He was trying to help," he explained. "We didn't mean to get in the way."

"The enemy has struck again," the Dark Bandit stated simply.

"Bring him in here!" Hikari ordered. "I'll call the doctor at once!"

He hesitated slightly. "Please. Promise me that he won't be harmed. He's innocent in this. Completely."

Hikari nodded. "I promise you. He'll be in good hands. Lord Jyou is a great doctor."

With reluctance, the bandit stepped into her chambers and laid the unconscious Daisuke on the bed. "Take care of him, please," he whispered.

"As an ally," Hikari stated, grasping his hands and looking into his eyes. "I can assure you that he is in good hands. Don't worry."

He nodded, and she could see the tears in his eyes. "I have to go," he excused himself, turning away. "I'll be back later. Take care of him, please." She nodded. He turned to V-mon. "Don't worry. He's in good hands."

V-mon nodded, still sniffling, as he watched the Dark Bandit disappear.

***

Ken sat on the roof above Miyako's room. Wormmon sat next to him, trying to console him as he sobbed continuously. He was still dressed in his disguise, although he had pushed the mask up into his tousled hair.

"It's alright, Ken," Wormmon assured him. "It wasn't your fault Daisuke got hurt."

"I saw his mother today, Wormmon," his partner explained between sobs. "I promised her I would take care of him if anything happened to her. She's not even dead yet and already he's hurt. I told her I'd be strong. But I wasn't. My emotions got in the way tonight, and they could have cost Miyako her life."

Wormmon patted his partner and friend. "It wasn't your fault," Wormmon repeated. "Daisuke chose to come out here on his own and he got hurt because of that stupid guy. Not because of you."

The boy sighed. "I know." He peered out towards the horizon. "I guess I should get some sleep. The sun is coming up."

***

Daisuke's injury causes Ken to rethink his own actions. But that's not the only thing that will happen as a result of Daisuke's attempt to help. Look for a lot more complications in the future. The King and the bandit with the hood come into play shortly. And, yes, you will eventually find out who he is. 

As for anyone who's concerned about Mimi? Don't worry, she's got a part coming up. A very important part, actually. 

Enjoy! And remember, in case you don't know, I don't own any of this except the plot. ^_^


	5. Part Five: Discussion and Betrayal

The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part Five

Ken managed to get a full two hours of sleep before Princess Hikari knocked on his door. He plastered on his best surprised face when she told him about the night before and then followed her to her chambers to see his friend.

"I'll leave you alone with him for a bit if you'd like," Hikari offered.

He nodded. "Thank you, Princess," he replied quietly, suddenly desperately afraid she'd recognize him.

She smiled sadly at him and opened the door. With guilt running through his veins, Ken entered the room.

V-mon greeted him with a smile and said nothing as he walked past him to exit the room. The scene had an eerie resemblance to the one Ken had experienced the day before with Lady Motomiya. He shivered slightly as he approached the Princess' bed.

Daisuke was smiling when he saw him. His head was bandaged tightly, but he looked fairly well. Ken felt some relief. His friend appeared to be alright. Nervously and without speaking, he sat in the chair next to the bed.

"How are you?" he asked softly.

There was a moment's silence before the other answered. "I'm alright," he replied. "I had a big headache before, but it's fading now. The doctor's been here twice already, giving me herbs for the pain. I feel a lot better."

Ken nodded, avoiding his friend's eyes. "That's good," he replied.

Daisuke frowned. "Ken, V-mon told me what happened," he told him. He glanced around the room momentarily to make sure no one else could hear. "I don't blame you."

The other boy blinked a few times before he finally looked his friend in the eyes. "You don't?"

The redhead shook his head. "No. Not in the least. It was my own stupidity that got me hurt. Not yours."

"But if I-,"

"If you what? If you had been there with me? I told you to go to sleep. You can't keep me out of this, Ken. I'm your friend and I'm going to help you, just like Hikari and Sora said they would. I want to help," he confessed. "I wish I was you sometimes, helping people like that. I want to help Miyako, too."

Ken sighed. "Everyone does," he assured his friend, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Then let them," Daisuke insisted. He sighed. "Please don't feel bad or guilty about me getting hurt, Ken. It was my own stupidity, and I know it."

Ken smiled wider. "Alright," he agreed, silently promising himself to keep silent about his promise to Daisuke's mother.

There was a soft tap at the door, and Princess Hikari reentered. "I hope you'll forgive the intrusion," she stated. "But I thought you'd want to know I've persuaded Father to postpone the party another few days."

"Why?" Ken wondered.

"I think this intruder is a real problem," she explained. "As long as there are people getting hurt, we have to deal with it. I don't want this party held until he's discovered."

Daisuke smiled. "An excellent idea, Princess," he replied.

"How do you plan to do this?" Ken questioned.

"That's what I don't know," Hikari confessed. She smiled conspiratorially. "Don't tell Father, but I've decided to discuss it with my best advisors."

"And who are they?" the redheaded boy questioned.

"All of my friends," the Princess replied. "You two, Sora, Takeru, Yamato, my brother. And Miyako." She frowned. "I think it's time we stopped keeping her in the dark."

"Another great idea, Hikari," Daisuke agreed.

"And the Dark Bandit," Hikari added. "I think he needs to be in on this."

Daisuke and Ken exchanged glances. "Why?"

"Well, he's been involved from the start. I think it's only right that he see it through to the end," the Princess replied. "I just wonder how to contact him."

"I think I can do that," Daisuke stated. Ken's eyes grew wide with genuine surprise.

"What?" he demanded of his friend. "How?"

Daisuke looked surprised for a split second at his friend's reaction. "I have my ways," he replied with a grin. Ken frowned.

"You don't know who he is, do you?" Hikari asked. "I've been dying to find out."

Ken frowned deeper and glared his patented eye daggers at his injured friend.

Daisuke shook his head dramatically, and Ken heaved a sigh of relief. "Unfortunately, no," he replied. "I wish I did. He seems like such an honorable young man."

Hikari agreed.

Ken felt his blood pressure rising slightly. "If you'll excuse me, Princess," he stated, standing up and trying to calm himself. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight."

Hikari looked surprised and disappointed. "Why not?"

"I - uh - think I have another headache coming on," he confessed. "I don't feel so well. And I promised Daisuke's mother I would visit her today. I'm afraid I'm not much in the mood for planning strategy."

Before either Daisuke or the Princess could react, he had marched quickly out of the room. "Ken!" Daisuke called, but he was long gone by then.

"Is he alright?" Hikari asked.

Daisuke sighed. "No," he replied. "But then, he never really is."

***

Ken stepped into Lady Motomiya's chamber after knocking softly. Jun was seated in the chair next to her mother, chattering away. She noted Ken enter the room and paused momentarily.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, bowing slightly. "If I'm interrupting, I can come back."

"No, it's alright," Jun told him. She stood. "I was about to leave anyway." She turned to her mother and said her good-byes. Then she walked to Ken. "I need to talk to you for a moment," she whispered. "Excuse us, Mother." She dragged the boy out of the room.

Ken blinked in surprise as he was pulled into the corridor. "What's going on?" he wondered.

Jun sighed and looked at her feet for a moment. "I'm sorry. I guess I just wanted to - apologize."

He blinked again. "Apologize?"

"Yeah. For everything. I know I haven't really welcomed you to the family, and I know that I haven't made life easy for you. I want to apologize for that. I guess I was being rather insensitive," she explained.

He blinked again. "Um, I'm confused."

She sighed. "Mother won't admit it to me or Daisuke," she told him. "But I know she's dying. She's been sick a lot for the past few years. I guess you know that." She sighed again and blinked away the unshed tears. "I guess I just wanted to show my appreciation and apologize to you. I can't imagine how hard it is to not have a mother around."

He nodded. "Apology accepted," he replied. "And, if it helps, you did make me feel like one of the family."

Now it was her turn to blink and stare in surprise. "I did?"

"Yes," he replied. "You treated me the same as Daisuke. Made me feel like I had a sister."

Jun grinned. "Thanks, brother," she told him.

"Oh," he remembered. "Princess Hikari will want to see you. It seems our dear brother injured himself last night trying to play Dark Bandit or something." He made his words as casual as possible. "He's recuperating in her room."

Jun gasped. "My brother? In the Princess' room?"

He nodded, pleased with himself. "The Dark Bandit brought him there last night after he was injured. The Princess has been helping him recuperate."

"The Dark Bandit? My brother was with the Dark Bandit?" Jun gasped again and sighed happily. "Now that is a good looking boy."

Ken couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. Jun was now his "sister." He wasn't supposed to be considered good-looking by her! She thankfully didn't notice his discomfort, however, as she dashed off to see her brother.

***

Miyako stared at Hikari in shock. "You met with the Dark Bandit and didn't tell me?" she asked. "Why not?"

Hikari bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Miyako. I thought it was in your best interests. I wanted to be sure of his intentions."

The other girl frowned and sat down on a couch in the parlor she shared with Sora and Jun. The Princess had come personally to Miyako to talk to her. She sighed.

"I suppose I can understand that," she replied. "I appreciate you looking out for me."

Princess Hikari nodded as she sat down next to her. "There's one other thing I think you should know. He visited me again last night. Daisuke was injured."

"Injured?" Sora repeated, stepping into the parlor from her chamber. "How?"

"It seems he's another of the Dark Bandit's allies. From what I could tell, he was trying to help when he was ambushed by our intruder. He was knocked unconscious before he could help. Thankfully, the Dark Bandit was able to help and drive off the intruder. Then he brought Daisuke to me."

"Why to you?"

"I suppose because I was the closest person he could trust. He trusted Daisuke, I think, but Daisuke couldn't help himself. I offered myself as an ally, and he took my offer. I offered to help him when he was injured, but he refused. When it came to Daisuke, his worries were more severe. He seemed very distraught," Hikari explained.

Sora nodded. "I think I can understand that. Daisuke was hurt doing a job he shouldn't have been doing. He feels responsible."

"I just wish I knew who he was," Hikari sighed dreamily.

Miyako frowned. She thought about the theories she'd had that Ken and the Bandit were one and the same. Especially when he'd disappeared during the fight. But she had no real proof. For the moment, she decided to remain silent.

***

"So you see, Daisuke was hurt badly last night. That's why he's not here," Ken explained to Lady Motomiya. He sighed and peered at the ground. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect him."

"Will he be alright?" she questioned.

"I think so," he replied. "It was a nasty bump on the head, but he's already recovering."

She smiled. "Ken, you can't protect him from every injury. Some are inevitable. I'm just glad he wasn't hurt worse."

"I know that," he replied.

"I want you to help my son. He considers you a close friend and even a brother. If you help him to grow as a person, it will mean more for his future than protecting him from injury," Lady Motomiya continued. She paused a moment and coughed harshly. "I know it's not possible to protect him from everything. I want you to watch over him and take care of him. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'll try, Lady," he replied sincerely. "I'll do my best."

***

Taichi was not very happy when he entered his sister's room. Hikari had just told him that his friend was resting and recuperating in there. She had also told him most of the story, but he wanted to know Daisuke's point of view.

Daisuke sat up nervously as the Prince entered the room. He'd viewed Taichi alternately as a friend, a mentor, an idol, and someone to fear. Right at the moment, someone to fear was the prevalent view. Taichi had on a stern face that he only wore when dealing with serious princely manners.

There was silence in the room as the elder boy sat in beside the younger. "So," Taichi began. "You got hurt last night."

Daisuke gulped slightly. "Yes, sir," he replied, hoping his voice wasn't shaking too badly.

"From what I hear, it was kind of a foolish way to get wounded, huh?"

"Yes sir. So I've been told."

"Daisuke," Taichi began.

"Yes sir?" Daisuke questioned when the other paused.

"Please stop calling me sir. Last time I checked, we were still friends. Besides, it makes me nervous."

"Oh. Alright."

"Thank you."

"Sure."

"You've been dealing with this Dark Bandit guy?"

"Well, yes," Daisuke admitted. He knew better than to lie to Taichi. At the moment, he was Taichi the Prince, Taichi the one to fear. Lying to him would be considered treason.

"What can you tell me about him?"

Daisuke gulped again. "Are you asking me as my friend or as my Prince?" he asked nervously.

Taichi sighed. "I suppose as both," he admitted. "Can you tell me anything at all?"

"Not much to either of you," Daisuke replied with a shake of the head. "It would be betraying a trust that I've kept for a very long time."

Taichi sighed again. "So you can't tell me who he is?"

He shook his head, no.

"Daisuke. This is very important. I know you won't tell me. But, do you know who he is?" Taichi's stern face was still firmly implanted.

Daisuke looked down and sighed himself. "I know better than to lie to you," he informed his friend. He kept his eyes focused on his hands, which were in his lap. "I do know who he is, but I can't tell you. You can't force me to, because he's a friend I can't betray." He glanced up at his friend.

Taichi's stern expression had changed to an overwhelmed one.

"I'm sorry Taichi," Daisuke whispered. "I don't mean to be a traitor to you or the kingdom. But I can't betray him."

The Prince buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, too, Daisuke," he replied. "I know Father won't like this."

Daisuke nodded. Nervous butterflies were fluttering in his insides. He breathed deeply, trying to relax, but was unable. "When are you going to tell him?"

"Tomorrow," Taichi replied. He looked at his friend again with distressed eyes. "I'm sorry. You've got that long."

Daisuke nodded again with a sigh. "Thank you, Taichi," he replied.

***

Ken paced nervously about his room. Things were changing rapidly. He needed to stop and examine them. First, Daisuke had been injured while he himself had rested. He'd managed to save the boy, and he was now doing fine. However, he was supposed to meet, in disguise, with the others that night to discuss strategy.

He was most nervous about groups. Especially when they involved the Dark Bandit.

"Sometimes I wish I'd never started," he grumbled.

Daisuke sat in the parlor, resting on the couch. "Don't say that," he called to his friend. "You've done a lot of good!"

Ken stepped out of his room and paced about the parlor instead.

"I just don't like it," he confessed. "Something's not right. Something I'm missing." He didn't notice his friend's nervous gulp. "But I don't know what."

"You have to meet with the Princess tonight," Daisuke stated bluntly.

"I know," Ken replied. "I plan to."

Daisuke watched his friend pace back and forth and wished he could do the same without dizziness. He'd never been accused of treason before. He wondered what would happen to him. Maybe he'd be executed. He doubted that.

"Daisuke? Are you listening?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess drifted out for a moment," Daisuke apologized.

"It's alright. Are you sure you're doing well? You've been kind of dazed since you moved back down here a few hours ago," Ken observed.

He shrugged, avoiding the question. "Ken, I consider you my best friend," he stated bluntly and without preamble.

The other boy was startled. He paused in his pacing and knelt on the floor beside the couch where Daisuke lay. "And you're my best friend," he replied. "No," he shook his head. "More than that. You're like - my brother."

Daisuke blinked. "B-brother?" he stammered.

"I talked to Jun earlier," he explained. "She told me she considered me like another brother sometimes. And I told her I felt she was like a sister. That means you're my brother."

Daisuke wasn't sure if he was more startled that Ken considered Jun a sister or that he considered him a brother. "I don't know what to say," he confessed. "Thank you. I guess you're like my brother, too," he admitted.

Ken smiled, and his "brother" could see the tears forming in his eyes. "Oh, don't cry!"

"I'm sorry," he answered, sniffling a bit. "It's just I miss my own brother. I never thought I'd get another one."

Daisuke sighed. And now, if everything went badly, he'd loose another one, he thought pessimistically. "I never had a brother before," he told his friend. "But I know you're a really good one."

***

Daisuke gripped his head slightly as he entered Hikari's room. He was still feeling dizzy, but he was determined not to miss the meeting. At his side, V-mon attempted to steady him.

Hikari stepped forward and put an arm around his shoulder. "Daisuke, you shouldn't be here."

"That's what I told him," V-mon agreed.

"I didn't want to miss the meeting," he answered, leaning on her. "I'm alright. Just a little lightheaded, that's all."

"You didn't have to come," she replied. "You need to rest."

"I can't miss this," he insisted. "It was my stupidity that got me injured, and that's the reason we're all talking."

The Princess led him to a chair and helped him to sit. V-mon sat beside him on the floor.

"You really shouldn't be here," Taichi spoke up. Daisuke looked up to see him standing in the entryway. "You should be getting your strength back."

"I'm done recuperating," the other replied. "I need to help out."

Taichi sighed and shrugged as he entered the room. He remained standing, leaning up against the wall. There was silence for a few moments before Miyako and Sora appeared in the doorway.

"Daisuke! You shouldn't be here!" Miyako told him. She peered at the back of his head. "He got you pretty badly."

"You should rest," Sora agreed.

Daisuke sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. "I'm not resting and I'm fine!" he half-shouted. "I'm not going back. I need to be here."

"Fine. Stay, then," Yamato stated brusquely from the doorway. His brother stood beside him.

"Thank you," Daisuke replied.

Hikari turned to Daisuke. "Ken's not coming?" she questioned.

Daisuke shook his head. "No. He's got a headache again," he replied, shrugging. "He doesn't like crowds much anyway."

"Nothing we can do to sway him?" Yamato queried.

Daisuke laughed a little. "I'm afraid not. He's quite inflexible when he gets like this. You won't be able to budge him."

Yamato shrugged slightly.

"Alright. Since everyone's here for the moment, I suppose we should start," Hikari began.

"Not everyone," Miyako spoke up.

Hikari interrupted before she could continue. "No," she agreed. "But almost everyone."

"So where do we begin?" Yamato questioned. He and Takeru had been told what the meeting was about, and the situation with the Dark Bandit, including what had happened with Daisuke. Still, neither brother had a clue as to why Hikari had asked them to come.

"I think I should start by telling you all something. Especially my brother," Hikari explained. She looked to Taichi, who was still leaning against the wall. He raised his eyebrows slightly at this announcement.

"Oh? What's that?" he questioned, moving away from the wall. He became slightly more interested.

Hikari glanced to the floor briefly as she collected her thoughts. "I met with the Dark Bandit," she informed him.

Taichi nearly fell over. "What?"

Yamato, Takeru, and Daisuke appeared surprised at the revelation as well.

"I'm certain he has Miyako's best interests in mind," Hikari replied. Quickly, she told her brother and those assembled of the two meetings she'd had with the bandit.

Taichi stepped forward and gripped his sister by the arms. "Hikari, you could have been killed," he told her.

She shook her head. "No, Taichi," she assured him. "I'm certain he's friendly." She took a deep breath. "I offered myself as a friend and ally."

Taichi sighed. No one noticed the nervous glance he tossed in Daisuke's direction. "Do you know who he is? What his plan is?"

"No. As far as I can tell, he has no idea who is after Miyako, any more than we do."

"Hikari," Taichi began. "This is very serious. Father believes him to be an enemy."

Hikari stepped away from her brother. "I don't agree," she replied. "He's trying to save Miyako's life. He's already done so twice. Remember the picnic? If he hadn't been there, we all could have been killed. We owe him our lives as well. How could Father consider him an enemy if he saved us?"

The seriousness of the conversation was evident to everyone present. Taichi remained silent. "Hikari..."

Hikari turned away from her brother. "I don't care what Father thinks," she told her brother. "I believe he's a friend, at least where Miyako is concerned." She gestured towards the others collected. "Sora and Daisuke concur with me."

"Sora?"

Sora nodded. "Hikari told me about her meeting. I told her that the Dark Bandit could consider me a friend as well." She paused. "I told Miyako's parents I would keep her safe. If he wants that as well, he's an ally of mine."

Taichi sighed. "Have you spoken with him as well?"

Sora shook her head. "No."

The Prince looked around the room. "Anything else I should know?"

Miyako spoke up. "He made contact with me," she told him. "He asked me if anyone had a reason for wanting to harm me. I told him I didn't know. He told me he didn't want me to feel frightened of him. Then he left. That was about it."

Taichi heaved another heavy sigh. "This is a serious situation," he reminded them. "I need to inform you all of what I know about the Dark Bandit."

There was silence in the room. Hikari sat down near Daisuke.

"I'm not certain entirely of his true intentions regarding anything other than Miyako's safety," the Prince began. He glanced towards Miyako and then scanned the room. "Previous to her rescue, he had not been witnessed in that area. In fact, his only emergences were far south of that region."

"Near where my family resides," Daisuke replied. There was a gasp from the assembled.

"You'd seen him before?" Miyako asked.

"Numerous times," Daisuke replied. He braced himself for their reactions. "I know who he is." V-mon gripped his hand in surprise and support.

"Daisuke, don't!"

There was another collective gasp. Hikari stared. "You told me you didn't!" she accused.

"I won't tell you who he is," Daisuke continued. He looked to Taichi. "I know I'm in serious trouble. I told you before, I won't tell you anything about him."

Taichi sighed. "Daisuke, there's no reason to go through this again now."

"I wanted everyone to know," he explained. "So there would be no doubt on whose side he is. We both want to help."

"You don't know anything about who's after me?" Miyako demanded.

Daisuke shook his head. "No," he replied.

"He speaks the truth," a voice collaborated. A dark figure had entered the room through the window. Everyone turned in surprise.

"Is this true?" Taichi demanded. "You've allied yourself with my sister?"

"The Princess offered herself as an ally," the Dark Bandit responded. "I accepted."

Taichi sat down weakly in a chair, heaving a sigh.

Yamato stepped forward. He'd remained silent for nearly the entire meeting. Now, he spoke up. "I guess now would be a good time to ask if there's been any progress made figuring out who's after Miyako?"

"There has," Hikari replied. She stood up, moving away from Daisuke, at whom she'd been staring in shock since his confession. "I spoke with Koushiro today. He told me that the arrows shot at the picnic were coated with a poison."

"Poison?" Miyako gasped. "Wouldn't shooting me be enough to kill me?"

The Princess shook her head. "It appears he's not after your life," she replied. "The poison wasn't deadly. It was only strong enough to knock you out."

"So they were hoping to kidnap her?" the Dark Bandit theorized.

Hikari nodded. "That's Koushiro's theory as well," she replied.

Taichi was deep in thought once more. "But we're no closer to finding out who would want to kidnap her," he noted.

"No, we're not," Hikari agreed.

"A motive is apparent, though," Daisuke spoke up. "If it's a kidnapping, he's probably after money."

"Not necessarily," Taichi disagreed. "He could want her for another reason."

Miyako shuddered.

"What sort of reasons?" Hikari demanded.

Taichi just shrugged.

Takeru spoke up. "Wouldn't it be best if we all worked together to try to figure this out?" he wondered. He glanced pointedly at Taichi and the Dark Bandit. "Instead of arguing who wants what."

There was silence for a few moments as everyone waited for Taichi to respond. Finally, he stood. "Meeting is adjourned," he stated plainly.

There was a silence. Then Sora began to protest. "Taichi, we haven't decided anything," she reminded him.

He shook his head. "No, we haven't. But the meeting is over." He glanced around the room. "Hikari, Daisuke, you stay. Everyone else, out." He turned to the dark figure who was now sitting on the window ledge. "And you. Stay."

"Taichi-," Yamato began.

"Don't want to hear it, Yamato. Out," Taichi replied in a voice that told everyone he wasn't up to hearing a second opinion.

With grumbles and groans, the group left the room. When all but the three Taichi had asked to stay had left, he turned to his sister.

"I need to talk to you. Privately," he said. He stared pointedly at the other two. "You two, wait here." He turned and walked out onto his sister's balcony. Hikari glanced apologetically at the others and then followed with a shrug.

Daisuke heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair, staring towards the ceiling.

"That wasn't very smart of you, you know," his friend noted. Daisuke shrugged. "Why'd you tell them?"

The redhead shrugged. "I can't lie to Taichi," he replied without looking away from the ceiling. "If I did, and it was found out later that it was a lie, I'd be killed."

"So now, you're in less trouble?" the Dark Bandit slipped off the window ledge and began to pace about the chamber. "You could still be killed. You lied to Princess Hikari."

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "And I'm withholding information. So what do I do? Tell them who you are?"

The other paused in his pacing. "That's it!"

"What?!" Daisuke sat up with a shock, causing his vision to blur slightly.

"We can't do that!" V-mon agreed.

"Of course I can. If I agree to tell him who I am, maybe you would be in a bit less of a mess," the bandit answered.

"You can't!" Daisuke insisted. He stood up, ignoring the dizziness and slight pain in his head. "I said I would help. I told you a long time ago that I would keep this secret no matter what. You can't give up now and just tell him yourself!"

"Daisuke-," V-mon cautioned. He stepped behind his partner and tried to steady him.

"Daisuke," the Dark Bandit said at nearly the same time, noticing his friend's wavering stand.

"No!" Daisuke replied, mistaking the warnings for disagreements and waving them both aside. "I won't rethink this. You can't tell them who you are. Not after all we've done to keep that secret from everyone. Remember Jun? How I wanted to tell her, so we would have another ally, and you said no? No one else needs to be aware of this." The dizziness in his head was stronger now. He put a hand on his head and steadied himself with his chair, but refused to give in.

"Daisuke, this is different. Your life is in danger," his friend protested. "I don't want you to risk execution because of me."

"I'll risk death all I want!" Daisuke was nearly shouting now. "You do it all the time, let me suffer for a cause!" He sank weakly in his chair. "I won't let you give up yet," he said in a slightly more subdued voice.

V-mon visibly relaxed when his injured partner finally sat down again. The Dark Bandit did the same. Then he heaved a weighty sigh. "If this is what you want," he said. "I know when you're stubborn. I'll give you your way."

"Darn right you will," Daisuke replied. He held his head slightly. "That guy hits hard. Watch your head," he warned somewhat jokingly.

The atmosphere relaxed somewhat. "I will," replied the other with a slight chuckle.

***

Taichi is faced with an interesting ethical dilemma. Both Daisuke and his sister have admitted to allying with someone his father and King considers an enemy. If Daisuke is imprisoned (or even executed) for such treason, then Hikari should rightly be punished as well. But will Taichi have the guts to do such a thing to his sister or his friend? And what will happen when he finally speaks with the Dark Bandit? 

Fear not anyone who likes Takeru, Yamato, Koushiro, Jyou, Iori, or Mimi. I assure you that everyone has a pretty decent part in this story, so just keep waiting. I start out with focusing quite a bit on Daisuke, Taichi, Miyako, and Ken, but that's mainly because they're my favorite characters. Not to say that I don't like the rest, I just can write these guys better. 

Anyhow, enjoy the story! Nothing but the plot is mine, in case you thought I might just be a millionaire and own all these characters. Nope, sorry! 


	6. Part Six: Torture and Explanation

The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part Six

Hikari stepped on to the veranda and waited for her brother to begin. Taichi was peering over the edge of the balcony towards the castle's grounds in silent contemplation. Wordlessly, she stood next to him.

"Taichi? Are you alright?"

With a sigh, he began speaking, not tearing his eyes away from the scenery. "I spoke with Daisuke today," he stated. There was a silence. Hikari waited for him to continue. "I told him that I would speak with Father."

"About withholding information from you?"

He nodded. "I don't want him to be in trouble," he told his sister. He looked towards her, and she could see the indecision and worry in his eyes. "His mother's dying, Hikari."

"Lady Motomiya? I thought she just had a cold?"

A shake of the head was his response. "She's been sick quite often over the past year. According to Lord Jyou, she won't live too much longer. Her husband agrees."

"How horrible!" Hikari gasped.

"Mother and Father have agreed that traveling would only increase her suffering. They've agreed to allow the Motomiya family to stay here as long as necessary. Including Ken."

Hikari nodded. "A wise decision," she agreed. "Lord and Lady Motomiya have been some of our parents' closest advisors and allies."

Taichi nodded. "Just as Ken and Daisuke are some of ours," he agreed. "Well, Daisuke anyway," he added.

"At least we'll be able to support them," Hikari noted optimistically.

Her brother nodded and turned back to the landscape. "Daisuke is in serious trouble. If I withhold this from Father, I'll be in serious trouble as well. It's my duty as a Prince - as the heir to the throne - to tell him of this development. But -,"

"But Daisuke is your friend and his mother is dying."

Taichi turned away from the wall and from her. He began to pace. "Sometimes I hate this position," he sighed as he walked back and forth. "I never thought I would, but now I understand _why_ Father often has sleepless nights."

"Taichi- if Father could be persuaded that the Dark Bandit is our friend," Hikari began.

Her brother paused in his pacing. "I don't think that will happen, Hikari," he stated frankly. "I'm not quite sure why, but Father is convinced he's an enemy." He glanced towards the Princess's inner chambers. Daisuke and the bandit in question were speaking animatedly. "I've tried to sway him on the matter, especially where Miyako is concerned. He won't be deterred."

Hikari sighed and sat down in a chair.

"Hikari. You could be in trouble as well," he warned. "You met with someone that Father considers an enemy."

"I know," Hikari replied. "I was always aware of that."

"You see where the dilemma lies?" Taichi turned back to her. "If Daisuke is in trouble for being an ally of his, then you are as well."

Hikari didn't respond at first. "I'm aware, brother. I believe Father's wrong."

Taichi sighed deeply. "Hikari, it doesn't matter if Father's wrong. He's still our father, and he's still the King. You're still in trouble."

She frowned. "Taichi, I don't know what to tell you. You're right about that, of course. But the decision is yours. Withhold information or not, it's your option."

He sighed again. "I know," he assured her.

"What will you do?"

There was a long silence before the Prince answered. "I suppose I'll have to tell Father about Daisuke," he replied. "As for you-,"

"As for me?"

"I suppose if you can convince everyone to remain silent about it, I will, too."

"Taichi!" Hikari gasped in surprise. "Thank you, brother. I'm sure I'll be able to."

"I certainly hope so," he replied gravely.

***

Daisuke and his ally arose when Taichi and Hikari returned from their discussion. When Hikari noticed her friend's dizziness, she immediately told him to remain sitting.

Taichi was silent and grave. His face was carved into a serious mask.

"Daisuke, I'm sorry," Hikari told him once he had sat again.

Daisuke nodded. "It's alright," he told her. "I knew what I was in for."

"Let me help you back to the room?"

"It's alright, Princess. I can make it. I made it here," he protested.

"Barely," she returned. "Let me help."

He shrugged. "As you wish."

The two and V-mon left the room, shutting the door noiselessly behind them. Taichi was silent for a few moments before he spoke.

"Daisuke is your friend?" he questioned casually.

The other young man in the room nodded, slightly disturbed by the Prince's informal attitude. "He is," he replied.

Taichi stared the masked figure in the eyes. "My father believes you an enemy. My sister disagrees. Apparently, so do Sora, Miyako, and Daisuke. Any theories on the discrepancy?"

The Dark Bandit thought a moment before he responded. "Your father considers me an enemy for valid reasons," he replied cautiously. "My original plan for existing was to oppose many of his ideas."

"Ideas like what?"

He thought carefully again before he answered. "Forgive me, Prince, but your view of the world is slightly limited," he explained. "I have seen innocent people imprisoned because of your father's belief that they were enemies."

Taichi was slightly intrigued. He frowned deeply. "Explain."

"In a village near where Daisuke's family now resides there was a poor old man," the bandit began. "Daisuke was a friend of his and he tried to help him by giving him food or a few coins when he saw him. At first, I didn't understand why. I thought he was just a lazy old man. But he told Daisuke his story, and he told me. Daisuke felt sorry for him. The old man's farm had failed many years ago and he had been poor ever since. His family had died long ago. He was forced to live off of handouts."

The Prince was disturbed by the story, but hid it well. "Continue," he encouraged.

"It was very tough for him to survive," the bandit went on. "As a result of his hardships, he was frequently forced to steal much of his food. His family who had once lived with him had been imprisoned or killed for stealing many years previously. Despite his hardships, no one would help him in the least. Except Daisuke. One day after a winter storm, we both went to the market together, and guards were dragging him to jail. He was an old man with few years left and he had only stolen food to survive. No one helped him, he had no choice but to steal. When he was imprisoned, he was beaten severely as a punishment. Eventually, he died because of that."

The Prince gasped aloud, unable to mask his surprise.

"Daisuke spoke to his parents about it. They told him that he could contact the King personally and tell them. A few weeks later, Daisuke went to court and explained the situation to your father. He wasn't confrontational, and he wasn't angry. He simply wanted to make the King aware of a situation that he felt the King might not know about. Your father informed him that what was wrong was wrong. The old man still had to be punished."

Taichi frowned. "That's a sad story," he noted. "But,"

"Let me finish, please," the Dark Bandit interrupted. "Not long after that, Daisuke - and myself - began visiting the prison in the area. We discovered that quite a few people in the area were imprisoned under similar circumstances. And the reason the old man's farm had failed? It had been neglected when he was called to fight in his King's army."

"The war a few years back," Taichi recalled with a nod.

The bandit nodded. "Quite a few people were called to fight. Some went voluntarily. Some did not. Their farms were abandoned for their wives and children to work. But they were unable, in most cases, to keep it going. Still, the King refused to compensate them for much of their services. They received very little pay, if any, and most lost their farms. When they were unable to eat or pay taxes, they resorted to stealing to survive. Then they were imprisoned and often killed for their actions, either directly or through neglect."

Taichi looked at the ground for a moment. "I didn't know," he confessed. The Dark Bandit merely nodded grimly. "But - I have a question. If it was Daisuke going through all of these actions, why is it you that does the dirty work?"

The Dark Bandit shrugged. "Various reasons, sir," he replied. "I was more skilled. Daisuke was too easily noticed. His hair and facial features are very recognizable. My - family situation - was less inviting. Daisuke had too many obligations as a lord's son."

"And what of his parents? Did they know nothing of his complaints?"

"They did. They were unable to help him, however. Mostly for fear of becoming the King's enemy."

The Prince was silent for a long moment. Then, he nodded, holding out his hand in offering of friendship. "I believe your story," he told him. "I'll speak with my father about this, I assure you. You can consider me an ally as well."

The Dark Bandit smiled. "Thank you, your majesty."

***

Ken returned to his room quite late that evening after his discussion with Taichi. To his great distress and confusion, when he entered the parlor to walk to Daisuke's room, Wormmon in his arms, he discovered Princess Hikari weeping faintly on the couch.

"Princess Hikari?"

"Ken!" She stood up and looked at him in surprise. "Um, are you feeling better?"

"Yes," he replied. "I - um - couldn't sleep. I wanted to see if Daisuke was alright. What are you doing here so late?"

"I brought Daisuke back from the meeting we had tonight," she explained. "A short while ago, a group of guards burst down the door and dragged him to the dungeon. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen."

Ken frowned, confused. "What?"

Hikari remembered then that he hadn't been at the meeting. "Oh! You don't know. Daisuke told us that he knows the identity of the Dark Bandit."

His surprised look prompted her to continue.

"Taichi told me that he was sorry, but because Father considers the Dark Bandit an enemy, he had no choice but to tell him that Daisuke was withholding information."

He frowned only more severely. "But why would they storm in on him in the middle of the night?" he wondered.

Hikari frowned in agreement. Suddenly, a look of determination arose in her eyes. "I need to speak to Taichi," she decided, rising from her seat. She glanced towards Ken. "Come with me?"

He was surprised for a moment, but nodded. "Absolutely," he replied.

***

The pain in Daisuke's head was stronger than any he had really ever felt before. He forced his eyes open in confusion, expecting to see a doctor standing over him once more.

Instead, he saw only darkness. "Hello?" he asked aloud. His voice was hoarse. He realized he was sitting up. Glancing upwards, he noted that his arms were chained to the wall above his head. With some confusion, he recalled what had taken place. Then he passed out again, the pain too great to bear.

***

Hikari stared down her brother once she was in his chambers. "In the middle of the night, Taichi?" she questioned.

Her brother's eyes grew wide in confusion. "What?" he asked. It was late, he was half asleep. Why was she here?

She stormed past him in anger and sat down on his bed.

"Daisuke is gone," Ken explained in a slightly more controlled voice. Outwardly, he displayed concern and worry, inside he felt anger and betrayal towards the Prince.

"Gone where?"

"Don't tell me that nonsense," Hikari snapped. "The soldiers arrived not ten minutes after we'd returned to his room. Why couldn't you have waited?"

"Soldiers? They took him?"

Ken nodded silently while the Princess fumed. "He's still injured, Taichi! Couldn't you let him have a night's rest!"

Taichi shook his head. "That's impossible. I haven't even spoken to Father, yet. I wasn't planning to."

Hikari paused in her ranting. "You weren't?" she wondered.

Her brother shook his head, no. "I allied myself with the Dark Bandit tonight as well," he explained. "He told me his story and motivations. I had decided to speak to Father tomorrow about a few of the problems he had brought up."

"Problems?"

"The Dark Bandit told me that he and Daisuke knew some people in a village, and around the kingdom, who had been imprisoned and killed because of stealing. They stole because their farms had failed while they were fighting Father's wars."

Hikari gasped. Ken only frowned even more deeply.

"Then you and Father didn't order the soldiers to take him?"

Taichi shook his head again. "No." He frowned. "The only people who knew Daisuke could be considered a traitor were the people at the meeting," he explained. "One of them must have told Father before I could."

"One of them is quite loyal to your father above you," Ken observed quietly. "But who?"

"Who was at the meeting that could have been a traitor?" Hikari wondered. "Sora? Miyako? Yamato? Takeru? Could one of them be it?"

"I wouldn't have believed any of them would go to Father before me," her brother responded. "I trusted them."

Hikari nodded agreement. "That's why I invited them," she replied.

Taichi sighed. "I don't dare disturb Father now. It's late."

"Taichi! You can't let him simply sit there overnight!"

"It's wise," he replied. He looked at Ken and his sister with apology in his eyes. "It's quite late," he repeated. "If I disturb Father now, he'll be less likely to listen to me than before."

"But Taichi! What about Daisuke?" Hikari repeated.

"He's right, Princess," Ken collaborated. "As much as I don't like it, it isn't wise to bother the King at this moment."

She heaved a sigh. "I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Good night, brother."

"Good night, Hikari," Taichi replied. "Goodnight, Ken."

***

Daisuke floated in and out of consciousness until the next morning. V-mon's gentle nudging at his side returned him to the world of the waking. Daisuke recalled then that it was common practice to simply keep the prisoner's partner digimon locked with them, yet not chained as the prisoner was. The idea was that the digimon partner wouldn't go too far from his human companion. In the most cruelest cases of torture, he recalled cases where the digimon had been caged separately. He was relieved to discover that this was not the case.

"Daisuke? Are you alright?" V-mon questioned. Daisuke brought himself to reality and nodded.

"I think so," he replied. His throat was dry and his voice hoarse. "What happened?"

"I think the guards stampeded you," the blue digimon replied. "I thought you said Taichi told you they would take you this morning - not during the night."

"He did," Daisuke replied. He frowned. "Something's not right here."

"Why do you think that?"

"Taichi isn't one to break a promise," he replied. "I'm sure that if he said he wouldn't tell his father until morning, he meant it."

"So why are we here?" V-mon questioned.

Daisuke sighed. "Apparently, either Taichi changed his mind or someone else told the King."

"We're doomed aren't we?" the blue digimon questioned gloomily.

***

Ken stood silently in the back of the throne room as the Prince and Princess approached their parents. He'd never much cared for the King's policies dealing with his prisoners, and he was fairly certain that Daisuke was no exception to those practices. In fact, he did not doubt that his closest friend was being made to suffer at the moment.

The situation was delicate. Rarely did a Prince dare to disagree with his father. Though Taichi was of legal age to assume the throne, he was fairly inexperienced as a ruler. The last few days' crisis regarding Miyako had indicated to Ken his true leadership qualities, however. He did not doubt the Prince's qualifications for his future position.

Beside the King sat the Queen, who was, as far as could be seen, innocent in the situation. Though she was, as the King had mentioned when Ken had arrived with Miyako and Daisuke earlier in the week, the woman in his life and one of his most trusted advisors, she appeared to have little real power.

No, Ken decided, it was the King who was truly at fault in this situation. And Ken would not have doubted if one of those present in the court at that very moment was the hooded bandit he himself had fought twice.

The King and Queen could be ruled out immediately, he decided. The Queen was too short to be the fighter he recalled, and the King was unlikely to fight a battle with a simple bandit such as himself, no matter how threatening he might be to his reign. And if he was, he would not disguise himself in such a plain outfit. Or would he?

Koushiro was standing nearby, speaking to Lord Jyou. The two were old friends from many years past, and were apparently there to discuss some important matter with the King. Koushiro was most likely not the hooded bandit, as he rarely emerged from his lab, either at the manor he inhabited or the temporary one at the castle. When he did, it was to read or write in long manuscripts and books. His digimon was a bug type known as Tentomon, who was nearly as smart as his partner. Secretly, Ken was glad of Koushiro's apparent innocence. He had always admired the man's intellect, and when he was young he recalled having been taught many fascinating things by the scholar.

Lord Jyou, the royal doctor, was equally unfit for fighting. Although he was, like Koushiro, in good physical health, he disliked violence by nature. His main duties around the palace were to assist the royal family and their guests and servants with any injuries or illnesses they might face, as well as training young doctors in the craft. His partner was Gomamon, a partner who was as playful as Jyou was serious. Their clashing personalities at first appeared to be a problem, but they worked well together, with Gomamon improving on Jyou's somewhat imperfect bedside manner.

The young man, Iori, was standing near the thrones with a piece of paper, Armadimon beside him. He was studying it carefully. He was a good fighter, but too small to be the hooded bandit. Besides, he had a distinctive, quiet, and polite voice that sounded nothing like Ken remembered his opponent's to be.

Ken watched as the Taichi and Hikari approached their parents together. They held hands as they walked down the hall, drawing upon each other for strength. When they reached the end, they separated and prepared themselves for what was to come.

***

Daisuke was about to drift to sleep again from boredom when the heavy wooden door somewhere to the left of him slammed open with a bang. Light streamed in through the door from the outside world, and he squinted. Previously, his only source of illumination had been some from tiny barred windows located behind him.

Without a word, a large man entered. He carried a large ring of keys attached to his belt, and he fumbled through them as he walked. Within three steps, he was next to Daisuke. After a bit more searching through the keys, he unlocked the boy's wrist and grabbed him by his collar.

Stumbling, Daisuke stood up. "Uh - hi?" he asked meekly. The man grunted in response and banged his already badly bruised head into the wall. With a groan, Daisuke fought to focus his blurring vision. He took the slamming to mean that sarcasm would not be appreciated. Wincing from the pain, he decided to follow the advice.

The guard seemed to sense his understanding. He nodded and grunted again. Then, still holding his collar, he led his prisoner out of the cell.

V-mon stared blankly for a moment and then decided to risk following. The guard ignored him, so he followed them down the hall, wisely keeping silent.

After a short walk, they reached another room. Daisuke was led inside. The guard removed his hand from his collar tossed him at a wall. While Daisuke was recovering, he slammed the door behind them. V-mon rushed inside quickly to avoid having the door shut on his tail.

The guard quickly grabbed Daisuke again as soon as he had shut the door, this time by the back of his collar, and shoved him, face first, in to another wall. Daisuke groaned in pain. V-mon winced in sympathy.

The man sharply grasped Daisuke's wrists and chained them, using irons already there, to the wall above his head. Daisuke recalled his previous prison visits of observation and winced in expectant pain.

The guard pulled a long strip of leather from its hook on the wall beside Daisuke, whose eyes grew wide and then shut again in fear.

***

"Father, please," Taichi said. "They weren't stealing to be malicious. They were only doing it because there was no other way to live."

"And the Dark Bandit has saved Miyako's life - and ours," Hikari added. "He is not a bad man."

The King's eyes were now narrowed in anger.

"Taichi, Hikari," the Queen spoke gently but firmly. "My children, the reasons for their wrongdoing are not the issue. They committed a crime, therefore they had to be punished. There can be no further discussion on the matter. No negotiations."

"I disagree, Mother," Taichi replied as politely as possible. "Forgive me, Mother, Father, but I think you need to rethink this. That man would have died if he didn't have food to eat."

The King was positively beside himself in anger. "Taichi, I will take no more discussion on this matter. It is, as your mother said, not open for negotiation. When I am gone and you are in charge, you may change laws as you please. But now, it is my power alone. I will not tolerate anymore arguments on this. Hikari, you as well. No more discussion."

Hikari nodded with a defeated sigh. She knew better than to disagree with her father when he was like this.

But Taichi ignored the warning. He knew the risk as well, but Daisuke was his friend, and he refused to give up yet. "Father, this is important. That man, and many like him, have no choice but to steal to survive. And they're being killed!"

"If he could not take care of his farm, he should not have been a farmer," the King replied with a slight sneer of disrespect.

Taichi shook his head. "It was your fault," he accused. "The farm failed because you called him to fight in war. While he was fighting for you he could not take care of his farm. You gave them little or no compensation for their fighting, so of course they had no means to survive."

The King rose from his throne. Hikari gasped.

"Dear, easy. He's still young," the Queen attempted to calm him down.

Iori, Koushiro and Jyou gasped, and even Ken, watching from the back of the room, could understand the seriousness of the situation.

The King, unfortunately, did not calm down. "Taichi, I'm quite disappointed," he stated in a booming voice. "I was under the impression that you were a good son. But, it appears that I have been wrong."

"He's only a boy," his wife reminded him.

"He's old enough to understand," the King snapped in response. His eyes burned with anger. He nodded to the guards at the end of the hallway. Ken moved out of their way with surprise as they marched to the front of the room. "I do not wish to see you for the next three days," the King told his son. "You will be confined to your room."

Taichi frowned. "Confine me as you wish, Father. It won't change my mind," he replied with defiance.

"We shall see," the King replied. He nodded to the guards, who by this time had reached the front of the room. "Take him to his room and stand guard. Only Hikari may come and go." The guards nodded obediently and clomped off, their armor clinking as they led Taichi from the throne room. Ken watched and caught his newest ally's eyes as he left. Defiance bristled in the young Prince's eyes for the first time that Ken could recall.

Daisuke would be proud, he thought to himself. Then he stepped forward. When he had reached the King he bowed and knelt as was the custom before standing again. "Your majesty, I wish to address you."

"Is this going to be another argument, Ichijouji?" the King questioned sharply.

"No sire. Only a request."

"A reasonable request, I hope?"

"That is for you to decide, sire."

The King sighed. "Very well. What is it?"

"I wonder if I could visit my friend, sire. Daisuke was recently imprisoned. I was hoping I could speak with him for a brief period. I would like to update him on his mother's condition."

"It has changed?" the Queen questioned.

Ken bowed once more before addressing the Queen. "Yes, your majesty. I visited her this morning on request from his sister. Jun was greatly worried about her brother when I told her the news. I saw his mother in place of him, and told her he was not feeling well. I did not wish to worry her."

"It is true," Lord Jyou collaborated from where he stood, having just recovered from the previous event. "The Lady recently developed a terrible fever. She was slightly delirious late last night."

The Queen turned to her husband. "My husband, consider allowing him a brief visit. The boy's mother is most likely near death."

The King frowned but nodded. "I'll allow a brief visit," he replied. "No more than twenty minutes."

Ken nodded and bowed in appreciation. "Thank you, your majesty," he replied. He turned to leave, and Hikari walked with him.

***

Daisuke groaned in pain the moment he heard the door close, indicating the guard had left. He had allowed himself only brief gasps before then, but now he groaned aloud. He felt the cool feel of the bricks on the side of his face and relaxed.

"Daisuke?" V-mon asked, almost startling him. "Are you alright?"

Daisuke turned his head to look at his digimon partner, who was standing to his left. "I've been better," he replied.

"That looked very painful," the blue digimon commented.

"It was," Daisuke replied. "But I'll be alright." He smiled weakly. "Don't worry, pal. We'll be fine."

"Do you think Ken is alright?"

"I'm sure he is."

The door swung open with a creak again, and Daisuke braced himself for another round. He hadn't been asked questions or interrogated the way he'd expected to be. He supposed that would happen later.

***

Hikari sighed once she and Ken were in the hall again. "Our ranks are thinning," she commented.

"I'm sorry about how that went," he apologized. "It appears your father wasn't as receptive as you'd hoped."

"Actually, that was as receptive as I'd hoped him to be," Hikari replied pessimistically.

"Hikari!" Tailmon rushed to her. "Where have you been? It's nearly time for lunch already. Where were you at breakfast?"

Hikari smiled at the feline digimon. "I was busy arguing with Father," she replied. "Come on, Tailmon. I think we need to think things over."

"Where are we going?"

Her partner glanced towards Ken. "Your room alright? We need to talk, and think."

Ken nodded. "I need to get Wormmon, too," he agreed. "He's probably worried about me."

***

Daisuke groaned. His back was sore, and his shirt was torn nearly to shreds from the whippings he had just received. He was back in his original cell, his arms chained in the same position. He was leaning against a cold brick wall, and the bruises on his back stung even more because of it. On top of it all, his head was still hurting badly.

The door opened with a bang once more, and Daisuke was not surprised to see the King enter the room. Apparently he planned to interrogate his prisoner personally.

The King had a tall, commanding figure. He stood in front of the aching redheaded boy and stared him in the eyes. "Daisuke. I'm disappointed."

Daisuke glared in response. "So am I," he replied.

"You know, I remember the last time you came to visit me. Smug, arrogant boy. Thanks to you, my own son has turned against me."

"Taichi-?" Daisuke questioned, shocked. Before he could get another word out, the King slammed his fist into the side of his mouth.

V-mon stared in alarm but knew better than to speak up lest he be hurt as well.

"You'll speak when I tell you to speak," the King ordered sharply. "Now, who is this Bandit guy?"

Daisuke felt blood between his teeth. He didn't respond. The King punched him again, this time straight on. Blood dripped from the boy's nose.

V-mon winced again, both at the sight of his friend and the thought of the pain he must be feeling.

"What will convince you to tell me? If one of your friends is hurt? Your family?"

Daisuke looked away. "Nothing. I won't betray him."

"You're withholding valuable information," the King reminded him as he punched him again. More blood spewed from his nose.

Daisuke didn't respond. The King groaned in disgust and rose to his feet again. "I'll waste no more time with you today," he grumbled. "You'll talk soon enough." He marched out of the room, slamming the heavy door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Daisuke spit the blood from his mouth. He turned his head and wiped his bloody nose on his arm. At this point it didn't matter what he looked like.

V-mon ran to the corner of the room where a shallow bowl of water was kept. He carried the bowl carefully back to his partner and helped him to drink from it. Daisuke did so, grateful.

"Thanks, V-mon," he told him. "Blood doesn't taste good." V-mon frowned in disgust.

"You look really bad, Daisuke," he told the boy. He tried to wipe a bit of the blood from his face, but didn't accomplish much.

"That's alright. No one's going to see me in here."

***

Wormmon looked just as concerned as his partner when he was told of the recent developments. "When you go visit him, can I go, too?" he asked Ken.

Ken shrugged. "Sure. If it's allowed." He smiled faintly.

"Taichi's not going to give in by being confined," Tailmon predicted. "He's only going to get angrier. Your father should know that by now."

"I guess he's not quite certain of what else to do. He can't throw his son in prison. He hasn't done anything but question him. And he's his only son, so I'm not certain he'd like to fully destroy his relations with him. But he needs to do something," Hikari theorized.

"There has to be something we can do," Tailmon grumbled. "While all this stuff is happening with Daisuke, Miyako's life is still in danger."

"That's right!" Ken remembered. He frowned. "Sora is with her, but she's limited protection. I hope she'll be alright."

"I'll stay with her for a while today," Hikari decided. "You need to visit Daisuke this afternoon. I hope he's alright."

"So do I."

There was a knock on the door. When Ken opened it, a stiff looking guard stood outside. "The King has decided your visit is now. Come with me."

Ken nodded. He turned to Wormmon, who immediately hopped down from the chair he'd been sitting on and hurried to his partner. "Princess, I hope you'll excuse me," he told Hikari, bowing slightly.

"Of course," she replied. "I'll be with Miyako if you look for me. Tell Daisuke I wish him well."

"If he's still conscious," Tailmon added cynically.

Ken took Wormmon in his arms and followed the guard down more steps than he could count and into a dark hallway. The eerie darkness of the corridor made the boy shudder. Wormmon did the same.

"Fabulous place," he muttered under his breath, and his digimon nodded gloomily.

They finally stopped in front of a door and opened it. The guard handed Ken a set of keys. "I'll be at the end of the passage," he informed him. "Lock the door when you're done. If I see you let him loose, I'll pound you." He held up his huge fist as proof of his strength.

Ken stared blankly at the man and nodded. "Understood," he replied politely. He bowed slightly and turned to the door. He waited until the man had retreated to the end of the hall as he had said he would before he unlocked the giant door and opened it, wondering why he had been trusted with the keys.

He stepped in the door, squinting in the dim light of the cell. It was small, but not too small, and there was apparently only one prisoner. Daisuke was shackled by his wrists to the side of the wall. V-mon sat beside him. When Ken appeared in the doorway, both strained to see in the light and then blinked several times in disbelief. Ken shut the heavy door behind him and rushed to his friend.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You look horrible." He fumbled with the keys for a few moments before he was able to unlock the irons.

"Ken? What are you doing here?" Daisuke wondered, finally collecting his thoughts.

"Visiting you," he replied. "I managed to convince the King to let me see you."

Daisuke blinked and rubbed his eyes. V-mon stared blankly.

"Daisuke, I have bad news and good news," he reported.

"Go ahead. I don't suppose it can be too bad."

"Your mother is doing worse."

"Worse?" Daisuke paled.

"I saw her this morning. Lord Jyou said that she developed a high fever late last night. She was nearly delirious this morning."

"You didn't tell her where I was, did you?"

Ken shook his head. "I'm sure your father and sister have been informed by now," he assured him. "But I said nothing to your mother."

Daisuke nodded. "The good news?" he wondered.

"Taichi's on our side. Unfortunately, his father isn't." Quickly, Ken recounted the events of the previous night and that morning.

"So the King is our enemy after all," Wormmon summarized.

Daisuke frowned in thought. "It somehow doesn't surprise me," he replied.

V-mon was examining his back. "You look terrible," he told his partner. Ken turned to look at what the digimon was observing. His eyes grew wide and his face paled.

"Daisuke! What have they done?" he gasped. "You're bruised as anything back here. And your face looks like it's been through target practice with the Prince and I."

"Almost," Daisuke replied. "His father came in personally and punched me a few times."

"He's got a mean right hook," V-mon collaborated.

Ken's eyes grew even wider. Then they narrowed. Daisuke recognized the anger in his eyes. "I'll be back," he informed his friend. Before his friend could reply, he stood up and left the cell.

Daisuke wiped the partly-dried blood from his nose. "Ech," he grumbled.

A few moments later, Ken reappeared with a bucket of water and some rags. "I found these outside," he reported. "It's not much in the way of medical help, but it's something."

"Thank you," he replied. He leaned forward and let his friend gently clean his numerous wounds.

"This shouldn't have happened to you," the dark haired boy grumbled as he cleaned his wounds. "I started doing this to stop people from being hurt."

Daisuke shrugged. "And so far you have." He winced as the cool wet cloth was placed on his back.

Ken abandoned the argument for fear of upsetting Daisuke further. "You would have been proud of Taichi this morning," he told his friend. "He sounded a lot like you when he was defying his father."

Daisuke smiled a little. "I knew he had it in him," he replied.

"Hikari was really worried about you."

"I noticed. I think. I don't remember much." He sighed and touched his head gingerly. "Any ideas as to who could have told the King before Taichi?"

"So far it seems to be one of the Ishida brothers," Ken confessed. "Taichi doesn't like it. He considers Yamato a very close friend. And Takeru and Hikari are friends as well. Neither of them appears to be the informative type. And I don't think it would be Sora or Miyako."

"So we're as lost as ever on who's after Miyako," V-mon noted.

"Precisely. Not an ounce of progress made."

Daisuke sighed and smiled up as his back was finished. "Thank you, my friend."

Ken shrugged and smiled back a bit. "No problem." He sighed. "I should go."

"Already?" V-mon asked.

"He did say only twenty minutes," Wormmon recalled.

Ken nodded in concurrence. "He did. I need to get back. If I can come again, I will." His eyes became serious and grave once more. "Stay alive, please?"

Daisuke nodded. "Fear not. I will not be a victim of our King's cruelty," he replied with equal sincerity.

***

A dark figure appeared before another. "Shall I attack tonight?" he questioned in a low, gruff voice.

"It would be wise. Attack her when she is most vulnerable," the other replied.

"As I always have," the hooded figure replied.

"Keep your identity a secret," the other warned.

"Naturally," he replied before leaving.

***

Taichi paced from his bedroom to his balcony again. He was getting tired of pacing, getting tired of being in his bedroom.

"It doesn't make sense," he grumbled to himself. "Yamato couldn't be a traitor. I just know it. And none of the others, either."

"But who could be that scary guy in a hood?" he wondered. "He's someone who's skilled at fighting - really skilled. It couldn't be Father, I would recognize him. And he wouldn't do that, he's got more important things to do. It couldn't be Jyou or Koushiro, or Iori, either. Koushiro and Jyou aren't fighters, and Iori's not tall enough."

Agumon sat on his bed nearby, examining his feet. Taichi stared incredulously at his digimon. "Are you going to help me think at all?" he demanded.

Agumon shrugged. "I'm as stumped as you are," he replied casually.

"You don't have to stay here, you know," his partner reminded him. "Father didn't confine you. Only me. You can come and go as you please."

"Are you certain you won't mind?" the yellow digimon questioned.

Taichi shrugged nonchalantly. "I won't mind, Agumon. I don't think anything will happen to me here."

"Alright, if you're sure you won't mind." He hopped off the bed and headed for the door.

"Agumon?"

"Yes, Taichi?"

"You'll come back, right?"

"Of course, Taichi. I always do." He smiled as he left.

Taichi grinned back at his digimon as he departed. As soon as the door had shut, he collapsed on to his bed and groaned noisily. "How am I gonna take three days of this?" he demanded of himself. He turned over onto his stomach. "Why couldn't I just be like Hikari and say _'Yes, Father,'_ when he stood up? I should know better." He banged his head into the bed.

He sat up again and heaved a sigh. "No, I had to be disobedient and insolent and stupid." He flopped down again and buried his head with his pillow.

There was a knock at the door, and it opened. "Taichi?" his sister asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he replied. "Just frustrated."

"With Father?"

"With myself, with Father, with this whole darn mess. I can't figure out how Father knew."

"I can't either. Nor can Ken." Hikari sat on the bed beside her brother. "I'll stay with you for a bit."

"Aren't you supposed to be with Miyako?" he wondered, rolling back over and sitting up. "Making sure she's safe?"

Hikari shrugged. "Ken's with her now," she replied. "He can deal with it himself. Sora's relaxing alone."

Taichi nodded. "Thank you," he said appreciatively. "So what did I miss today?"

"After you left, Ken got permission from Father to visit Daisuke. It seems his mother's health has deteriorated. She came down with a serious fever last night."

"She doesn't have much time," he agreed forlornly.

Hikari shook her head in agreement. "Ken and I went back to his room to discuss things. Then a guard arrived and said that he could see him now. I went to be with Miyako. We played cards and went for a short walk around the grounds. Not too far. Yamato and Takeru came with us."

Taichi frowned. "I doubt either of them told," he confessed.

His sister agreed. "Nor do I," she stated. "We filled them in on what happened. Then Ken told us what had happened with Daisuke." She paused momentarily. "He's really bad, Taichi."

Her brother sighed. "I expected it," he confessed. "How's his spirits?"

"Still intact, so far," she reported. "According to ken, he's not giving in yet."

"Good. I hope he doesn't."

"Don't you want to know?"

"Of course I do!" Taichi replied. "But I don't want Father to know. He's an ally. We don't need the guy killed."

Hikari nodded in agreement. "Who he is really isn't the issue," she reminded him. "It's who our enemy is."

***

"Nope. Go fish," Takeru stated with a grin. Miyako grumbled as she pulled the next card from the pile.

"Your turn, Ken," Yamato reminded him.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Ken snapped himself out of his train of thought and focused on the game. "Um. Do you have any Queens?" he queried.

Yamato grumbled to himself as he handed over his Queen. Ken peered over his remaining cards. "Any threes?"

"Nope." Yamato smirked happily. "Go fish."

Ken drew a ten of spades from the pile and lost himself in thought again.

Takeru nudged him in the shoulder. "Have any tens?" he asked.

Ken wordlessly handed over the ten he had just picked up, silently thinking that there were a million other things he could be doing. However, Princess Hikari had requested that he look out for Miyako - and that meant as himself. With Daisuke gone, there wasn't much to do anyway. He didn't feel like being alone, for once.

"Any fives?" Takeru asked.

"Go fish," Ken replied.

"Does anyone else find it the least bit disturbing that you're playing cards?" Sora asked. She was sitting across the room near the window, having declined the offer to play.

"Yes," Yamato replied as handed Miyako his three.

"Immensely," Ken agreed.

"But what else are we going to do?" Takeru asked. "We've already gone over every angle. We don't know who the enemy is or what he's after. There's no point in worrying about it right now."

Miyako seemed to agree, but she was to busy cheering herself for having gotten rid of one of her cards that she didn't respond. "Yahoo! Ken, have any fours?" she asked. Ken handed over the card.

"He has a point," he noted. "However, it does seem a bit unjust to be enjoying ourselves when others are suffering."

Miyako frowned. "There's always someone suffering," she pointed out. "We can't suffer just because they are."

Takeru nodded his agreement. "We can't do anything right now, so we might as well just relax."

Yamato, Ken, and Sora shared similar frowns but said nothing. Yamato glanced at Ken, who shrugged. Then Ken glanced at Sora, who had a similar response. In unison, all three shrugged again.

"Have any tens, Takeru?" Miyako asked, still on her winning streak.

Takeru shook his head, causing the girl to frown in disappointment as she plucked another card.

"Someone's taking the game a bit seriously," Yamato noted. Miyako simply glared at him. The boy wisely backed off, much to the others' amusement.

"It does look like a silly little game," Wormmon agreed. He'd been sitting in Ken's lap, observing the proceedings.

Ken smiled a bit and whispered to his partner. "It's not so much the game, but Miyako," he told him. Wormmon nodded in understanding. Yamato, who was sitting next to Ken, heard, and laughed, but thankfully Miyako was oblivious.

Patamon was perched on Takeru's head, but Gabumon, Piyomon, and Hawkmon were sitting on the opposite side of the room, near Sora.

There was a knock on the parlor door and Jun entered. "Sorry to interrupt," she told them all with a smile. "But Father wants to see Ken."

"Me?" Ken wondered. He and Lord Motomiya had never really spoken much. "For what reason?"

His surrogate sister shrugged in response. "He didn't say."

The boy shrugged. "Sorry," he apologized to the group as he stood up. "I guess you'll have to forfeit the game."

Miyako gasped. "No! No we won't! Sora can play. Right Sora?"

Sora looked up from the window and shook her head. "No, thanks," she replied.

The moment her head was turned, a dark figure landed on the balcony outside the window. Everyone screamed. Sora was confused for a moment and then noted the hooded bandit. Quickly, she jumped away from the window, which opened shortly afterwards.

Jun screamed loudly and fainted in Ken's arms. He blinked and tried desperately to hold her up.

"What do you want?" Yamato demanded, taking the lead as one of the few calm ones.

"None of your concern, Ishida," the figure replied.

Miyako hid behind Ken, who was trying to figure out what to with Jun. The hooded bandit turned towards him. He gulped. "Why are you hiding behind me?" he hissed.

She shrugged. "I don't know!" she replied frantically. "You were the closest."

"Well, if you're going to use _me_ as a shield, help me with her," he demanded. Miyako nodded and helped him to lower Jun to the ground.

Meanwhile Takeru, Yamato, and Sora were attempting to hold him off. Yamato, who almost always wore his sword, drew it and was attempting to hold off the intruder. Ken and Miyako observed the fight. Suddenly, he thought of something.

"Run," he hissed. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Where are we going?" she yelled as she followed him.

"I have no idea," he replied. "I just know we've got to get out of here."

"Well, is there anyplace to hide?" she questioned. "A closet or something?"

"None I know of," he stated.

"So where do we go?"

He thought as rapidly as he could. "The kitchen," he replied. "There's no one there this time of night. We can hide."

"Good enough," Miyako agreed, following him as he changed directions and ran down a flight of stairs. A few moments later, they burst into the kitchen. It was dark in there, and there was no one present, just as Ken had predicted. Quickly, they dove behind a pile of pots and pans and stayed as quiet as they could.

"Hopefully Yamato was able to hold him off long enough," Ken whispered softly as they caught their breaths.

They remained there for the next few hours. Exhausted, both soon fell asleep.

***

Sorry about the delay in getting this part up. School just started, and between buying books and the actual studying, my time spent on these stories is limited. Blech.

Hmm…any notes about this part? Oh, yeah, there was finally an explanation. Actually, this is the last time the Dark Bandit actually appears in his own story for a while. For the next few chapters, the focus will change a bit. Don't worry, eventually we do get back to the title character. 

Sorry everyone I'm keeping in suspense. Eventually you DO find out who is after Miyako and why. The next part won't take quite so long to get up.

The characters aren't mine. Only the plot. Thanks for reading and reviewing, all the people that did!


	7. Part Seven: The Truth is Revealed!

The Dark Bandit 

The Dark Bandit 

Part Seven

"Maybe they're in here," Yamato suggested. Still holding his left arm with his good hand, he pushed open the door to the kitchen. His brother followed him, carrying a candle, a worried expression on his face.

They located Ken and Miyako, both asleep and leaning against the wall. Yamato chuckled to himself. "Do you think you can carry her?" he asked.

Takeru sighed in relief. "Yeah, but not the candle at the same time."

"I'll get the candle," Yamato replied, reaching out with his injured arm to take the candlestick. Takeru shook Ken lightly.

Blinking, confused, the boy awoke. "Hey, wake up," Takeru greeted. "All's clear."

"All's clear?" Ken repeated, still not fully awake.

"We managed to drive him off," Yamato replied somewhat proudly. "'Course he nearly took of my arm in the process." He removed his good hand from his arm to reveal a nasty slice across his upper 

arm. Ken winced slightly at the sight, remembering his own previous injury. "We've been looking for you two for the past hour."

Takeru grinned. "Now you know how the Dark Bandit feels," he joked to his brother. He bent towards Miyako. "Help me with her?"

Ken nodded, still dazed. He grabbed Miyako's shoulders while Takeru took her feet. Together, they carried the sleeping girl back to her room.

Once safe, Ken learned what had actually occurred. After he and Miyako had run off, Yamato had attempted to fight the intruder alone, but was quickly proven to be out-skilled. At that point, he had been injured. Takeru and Sora, having grabbed makeshift weapons of their own, had begun pounding on the intruder as much as they could. The digimon, including Hawkmon and Wormmon, had joined in as well, and eventually, greatly outnumbered, he had been forced to retreat. Jun had returned to her room when they had awakened her after the fight, as she was quite shaken up.

"My question is, where was our ally during all this?" Yamato wondered. Takeru shrugged.

"He probably has a life outside of being the Dark Bandit," he reminded his brother. "Maybe he had something tonight he couldn't get out of."

Sora shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe he knew we could handle it."

Ken yawned deeply. He had been ready to sleep a while ago and was tired after his short nap. "I'm exhausted," he commented, hoping to change the subject away from the Dark Bandit.

"So am I," Yamato agreed.

Sora retrieved some rags and soaked them in water. "Let me clean you up," she offered the injured boy. The others watched as she carefully washed the blood off and then wrapped his arm in bandages. Ken recalled his own swordfight with the hooded bandit and touched his own shoulder in remembrance. The wound was nearly healed now, but he still kept the bandage on it. He had changed it himself that morning, since Daisuke hadn't been there.

"Maybe we should wear padding on your shoulder or something when fighting that guy," Takeru suggested. "The Dark Bandit was injured in the same place."

"He's a good fighter," Yamato grumbled defensively. "I thought I was good, but he's better."

"And you've had a lot of practice," Gabumon recalled as he watched the proceedings.

"I guess this man has had more," Piyomon stated.

"That's obvious from just watching him," Sora agreed. "He looks stronger than both of you two put together."

Yamato winced as she tied the bandages tightly. "He is. One swing from that guy and I felt like he was going to knock the sword out of my hand." He touched his shoulder gently. "I suppose I'll have to visit Jyou in the morning, right?"

His brother nodded. "Definitely. But first, let's get some sleep. It's late." He yawned, and Patamon, resting on his head, mimicked his actions.

"We can't leave Miyako alone," Sora protested. The girl in question was still passed out on one of the parlor sofas.

Yamato frowned. "We can't," he agreed. He glanced towards Ken for his opinion, but the other boy had drifted off to sleep again, sitting in a nearby padded chair. Wormmon was dozing in his arms.

Takeru laughed softly when he noticed. "I think Ken has the right idea," he decided.

His brother nodded in agreement. "We'll camp out here. If something happens, we'll be sure to hear it."

Sora agreed. "I'll get some extra blankets," she offered, heading to her bedroom.

Yamato glanced towards Ken. He was sitting up, his head leaned back in the chair. He didn't look uncomfortable, but it was certainly not the best sleeping position.

"Shall we move him?" Gabumon questioned quietly, following his partner's line of sight.

"Sure. You get his head. I'll grab his feet," he told Takeru. With his good arm, Yamato assisted his brother as best he was able. They moved the sleeping Ken off the chair and laid him on the ground. He barely noticed the move, rolling over slightly and continuing his slumber as though nothing had occurred.

A few moments later Sora returned. She placed one blanket over the sleeping boy and his digimon and Piyomon positioned a pillow under his head. He stirred slightly, but didn't awaken.

The others observed the sleeping boy for a bit. "He looks so exhausted," Patamon noted.

Takeru nodded with a frown. "As though he hasn't slept in weeks," he agreed. "I wonder what keeps him up nights."

"He's probably worried about Daisuke," Sora theorized.

"Or he could be having bad dreams," Piyomon noted. "Jun did tell us his home life wasn't that good."

Yamato shook his head in agreement. "No, it isn't," he stated bluntly. His eyes grew unfocused as he thought back. "I remember his parents before his brother died. They were sweet, full of life.

His mother seemed so caring. They paid a lot of attention to Osamu. Not so much to Ken."

Takeru looked concerned. "That doesn't seem fair."

"It wasn't," Yamato replied. "Ken was never mistreated, but he wasn't noticed quite as much. Osamu was a brilliant boy, and they were very proud."

"When he died, their world sort of fell apart around them," Gabumon remembered.

"I think I saw the Ichijouji parents after Osamu's funeral," Sora recalled. "I was young then, and Ken was younger. They all looked so miserable."

Piyomon agreed. "It was at least a year later, and they were still very upset."

Yamato nodded. "They've never really gotten over Osamu," he remembered. "I think that time you were talking about is probably around the time when Ken first met Daisuke. The Motomiya family 

moved into an area near them, but they first met here at the palace. I guess the only time Ken really felt happy was when he was with Daisuke, so he began to spend more time with them."

"Now, as far as I can see, they consider him almost part of the family," Gabumon supplied.

Takeru looked disturbed. "That's horrible," he commented.

"It is," Patamon agreed. "We should try to help, too."

"We are," Gabumon reminded him. "We're being his friends."

***

Daisuke awoke to light streaming in from one of the windows. After Ken had left the day before, he had been left alone and not chained again.Now, he awoke from his sleep on the cold, dirty floor with a stiff ache in his joints and pain still stinging his bruised back. He touched his nose to find it was still sore. He was quite glad it had not been broken.

He groaned a groan which turned into a yawn as he sat up and rubbed his eyes with his palms. V-mon was awakening beside him.

"Morning," he told his partner. V-mon looked rather unhappy. He wasn't a morning digimon, and waking up in a dank, dirty, cold cell didn't help his mood.

"I wonder if we'll be fed today," the blue digimon grumbled as he dusted himself off.

Daisuke sighed and leaned carefully against the wall. "I doubt it," he replied pessimistically. He peered at the thin window high above him. "I wish I knew what was happening outside."

"I wish we were outside," V-mon stated. He stared at the ground and began to trace his foot in the dust. An idea entered his mind, and a few seconds later a doodle of a frowning face appeared below him.

Daisuke observed his partner's drawing with a confused expression. "Can't you draw anything happier?" he wondered.

"I'm not very happy," was his curt reply. He sat down hard next to the boy. "Daisuke, I'll stick with you through thick and thin, but this is really, really thin."

With a sigh, the boy agreed. "It is bad," he returned. "But at least we're together, right?"

V-mon frowned slightly, but it turned upward into a smile. "That's right," he replied. "We are." He nestled beside Daisuke. "This would be a lot worse if you weren't here."

His partner smiled and hugged him happily. "That's for sure," he agreed, reaching past V-mon and tracing a smile on the face in the dust.

***

Ken was a little alarmed to awaken the next morning camped out in the girls' parlor. He took a few moments to remember why he was there, and vaguely remembered falling asleep in the chair the night before. He sat up, yawning, and noted that Takeru, Yamato, and Sora were still asleep. Miyako was sitting on the couch, lost in thought. He yawned as loudly as possible, and she turned to him, alerted.

"Good morning," she whispered, speaking quietly because of the others still asleep. She smiled slightly, and he smiled back.

"I guess I was more tired than I thought last night," he commented. "I guess we both were."

"What happened?" she wondered.

"He was injured in the fight," he reported, gesturing towards Yamato and then at his own shoulder. "The others apparently jumped in to help and forced the intruder to retreat. Then they went looking for us. We fell asleep in the kitchen." His face has a slightly reddish tint to it suddenly, but it faded quickly.

Miyako blushed slightly and turned away from him. "Everyone's sleeping here?" It wasn't really a question.

"I helped carry you back here and then fell asleep myself," he replied. "I guess they decided to sleep here, too."

She nodded in understanding and managed to meet his eyes. "Are you hungry?"

"I am," he replied with an almost imperceptible smile. "Would you like to eat?"

She nodded and glanced at her wrinkled, slept-in clothes. "I'll need to change," she excused herself. "Should I meet you back here in fifteen minutes?"

Ken blinked in surprise and then noted his own clothes. After having slept in them, neither looked very presentable. "Right," he replied. "I'll go change, too."

Wormmon looked to Ken. "And me?" he questioned.

His partner shook his head. "Stay with Miyako," he told his partner. "I won't be long."

***

Daisuke wondered if it would be a routine now to be awakened, beaten, and left to rot. At about mid-day, he was returned from another whipping session with the same guard as the previous day. Instead of being placed in the same cell, however, he was moved to a smaller one. His hands were chained to the wall in a similar fashion as before, but now he was forced to stand instead of sit.

In addition to the pain in his head, face, and the excruciating agony he now felt in his back, his legs began to ache not long after being shackled. He was also very hungry, having consumed only water the day before.

An hour or so after he had been returned, the guard opened the door. He carried a bowl of some mushy material that Daisuke assumed was supposed to be food. He left it on the floor beside the door and left. V-mon took the bowl and brought it to his friend. With his partner holding the bowl above his head, Daisuke was able to bend over enough to bury his face in the bowl and eat.

It was plain and bland, but not overly disgusting. Daisuke decided it was edible, and quickly gobbled up half the bowl. He would have liked to eat the rest, but he knew if he ate too much he would be sick, and his digimon needed to eat as well.

"The rest is for you, V-mon," Daisuke told him, standing up again. He licked the remainder of the gruel from his lips and relaxed against the wall. "It's not too bad."

V-mon devoured the food almost before Daisuke was finished speaking. "It's alright," he agreed, making a face.

***

Ken and Miyako entered the kitchen to find that the Princess Hikari was there as well. "Oh, good morning, Ken, Miyako."

"Good morning," both greeted.

"Getting breakfast?" Miyako wondered.

Hikari nodded. "Bringing some to my brother," she explained. "Father won't let him have too much food, but he's got to eat something." She sighed and shook her head.

"How's he holding up?"

"As well as can be expected. He's bored, and he's spending a lot of time thinking. So far he hasn't come to any conclusions," she reported.

Ken frowned slightly. "He'll want to know about last night," he informed her. "Yamato was injured, but they managed to force a retreat. He's seeing the doctor now." Quickly, he and Miyako 

summarized the incident.

Hikari frowned in thought as well. She took the prepared plate from a servant who handed it to her. "I'm going to bring this to my brother. Then I'll return for breakfast. Can you have everyone meet me in the East Porch?"

Both nodded.

"Good. I want to know the details before I tell my brother anything," she explained.

***

Daisuke was not surprised to see the King enter his cell on the second day of his imprisonment. He braced himself for another round of bruising, taking a deep breath.

"Are you going to talk to me?" the King demanded.

Daisuke didn't respond. The King snorted. "Very well. If you won't be of use to me, perhaps you'll be of use to my son."

Daisuke was confused, but said nothing. His captor nodded to the guard outside the cell, who immediately entered and stood behind King, who nodded again.

The guard pulled back his massive fist and struck Daisuke in the stomach before he had even noticed the action. Daisuke bent over in pain and clenched his eyes shut. Before he was able to recover from the punch, another slammed into his stomach. And another. And another.

Daisuke groaned aloud, unable to remain silent any longer. The King noted this and held up a hand, halting the guard's assault. He grasped the boy by his hair and yanked his head up. For a moment, he scrutinized the boy's face. Then, apparently deciding that it was not bruised enough, he punched him a few times.

"He'll do," the King stated after Daisuke was bloodied sufficiently. "Bring him in an hour."

The guard nodded and they both left the room, leaving Daisuke in agonizing pain.

***

Hikari nodded as she put her spoon down. "It's good that you were able to drive him away," she told the others seated at the table on the porch. The others included Yamato, Takeru, Ken, Miyako, and Sora.

There was a quick rap on the door and Iori entered. "The King requests your presence in the throne room," he announced.

"Mine?" Hikari questioned.

"Everyone," the boy replied. He turned away, and then paused and turned back to them. "I would suggest you hurry. He's not happy."

Silently, the group stopped their mostly-finished meal and followed the young advisor to the throne room.

The King smiled when they entered. "So glad you could come," he stated. "I have a few things I need to show you all." He gestured to a place to the left of the long red carpet. Jyou, Koushiro, and Iori were already standing there as well.

There were no digimon in the throne room at all, everyone having been asked to leave them outside. This was a most confusing occurrence, as most digimon rarely left their partner's side.

Obediently, the group assembled itself in the indicated location, all mumbling quietly amongst themselves.

The King smiled a too-large smile and sat down again. "Guards," he barked. "Bring in my son."

The two guards standing at the doors opened them together. Two more guards entered, Taichi walking between them. He looked as defiant as before, but confused as well.

"It has only been _two_ days, Father," he reminded the King when they reached the end of the carpet. "I understood you wished to wait three before you saw me again."

"I am aware Taichi. This is for your benefit."

"_My_ benefit?"

His father nodded in response. "I hope you learn something, son."

He nodded to the guards at the entrance again and they again heaved the heavy doors open. Another, huge, guard entered the throne room. He gripped a chain in his massive fist. At the end of the chain was Daisuke.

The Prince's eyes grew wide. Hikari gasped. Miyako went weak in the knees with alarm. Takeru and Sora both felt as if they would be quite sick right then and there. Ken and Yamato both widened their eyes in shock and then narrowed them in anger.

"Father, what?" Hikari spoke up. The King raised a hand.

"Let me do the talking, Hikari," he warned. The look on his face quelled any further protests from his daughter.

Daisuke most certainly looked horrible enough to warrant a bit of vomiting. His face was nearly covered with blood and dirt. His clothes were ripped, mangled, and soiled so they were barely recognizable. His once fine clothes were now in shreds. He stumbled along, barefoot, behind the guard, hunched over in considerable pain. His arms were chained behind him with heavy irons, and another manacle was around his neck, to which the chain the guard pulled him on was attached. As he was led past the others, they could see the multiple bruises on his back from the whippings he had received.

Taichi was shocked. Daisuke had only been imprisoned for two days, and he looked this bad already?

"Father," he protested, stepping forwards. The guards beside him blocked his way. "What is this?"

"A lesson, my son," the King replied calmly.

At long last, the prisoner reached the end of the carpet. The guard leading him pushed him to his knees before the King.

There was silence in the room. The King smiled, pleased. No one dared to speak. Then the King spoke again.

"Show my son the details of this boy's sentence," he commanded.

Daisuke was pulled, rapidly, to his feet once more, and the guard led him to stand before Taichi. Nervous, afraid, sick, and in much pain, he couldn't meet his friend's eyes.

The guards moved aside for Taichi, who stepped forward and stared in horror at his friend. At this close view, he could see that Daisuke had been punched in the face quite a few times. The guard leading him turned him around, permitting the Prince to view the horrifying bruising on his back.

"How could you?" Taichi demanded. The guards beside him firmly grabbed his arms again, preventing any further movements.

The King merely smiled and nodded another command to the guard, who then dragged Daisuke to the opposite side of the carpet. "Observe him carefully, my children," the King ordered.

Hikari gasped and turned away briefly when she saw the numerous injuries on his body. "Daisuke - I'm so sorry," she whispered softly. He heard her words and managed to lift his aching head and 

make eye contact with her for a brief moment before he was yanked away again.

"What's the meaning of this?" Taichi demanded. He struggled against his guards, but it was futile. "He's not the enemy, Father. Neither are Hikari and I. Why do you make us suffer?"

"I do not tolerate disobedience," the King replied. He rose from his throne and walked to his prisoner. He stood in front of Daisuke.

The mere presence of the King was enough to cause fear in Daisuke by this point, but he lifted his head and stared defiantly. The King merely laughed in response.

"I'll ask you once more, traitor," he commanded in his booming voice. "Who is the Dark Bandit?"

Daisuke didn't respond.

"Who is he?" the King repeated. "Is he, perchance, in this room?" He turned away from his captive for a moment and gestured towards the group near Hikari. Daisuke looked up, fear in his eyes.

_'He's only bluffing,'_ he tried to assure himself.

The King turned back to Daisuke, who quickly replaced the fear with a strong defiance. "Who is he?" he demanded again.

Daisuke looked away. "I won't tell _you_," he replied. His voice was hoarse but strong.

The King frowned. "That is quite foolish of you," he warned him. He turned towards the Prince. "Am I right, son?"

Taichi frowned. "Daisuke hasn't done a thing. Let him go."

"Are you defying me, my son?"

Taichi struggled only harder against the guards that restrained him. "Daisuke is innocent. He hasn't done a thing. You should be going after the one that's threatening Miyako's life," he shouted in further defiance.

The King laughed. He looked to Daisuke. "Innocent?" he wondered. "Is that so?"

"He hasn't done anything, Father," Hikari agreed with her brother. "He's only protecting a friend. That isn't wrong. You're punishing the wrong person."

"He has defied me, Hikari. That is enough for punishment. He lied to you, do you forget that?"

Daisuke winced at that recollection. Defying the King he could handle, but lying to Hikari was not one of his prouder crimes.

"He is a friend to someone who helped to save my life," she reminded him. "And Taichi's. The Dark Bandit isn't bad."

"That's true," Daisuke spoke his agreement. "His only intent is to help the innocent."

"Innocent?" the King snorted. "He has only helped those who are guilty."

"They were innocent," Daisuke insisted. "They were punished wrongly. Just as your son is wrongly punished now."

The King's response was to slap the boy across the face so hard he fell to his knees again.Daisuke was glad it wasn't another of his vicious punches.

Hikari gasped and turned away. Takeru, standing nearest to her, placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright," he whispered to her. "Daisuke can handle himself."

Ken winced as his friend was struck. "Daisuke, don't do this to yourself," he whispered softly. "Let me help you."

Miyako stood next to him. She peered at him with a curious glance, but then turned back to Daisuke.

Yamato merely clenched his fist and his teeth in anger at the scene.

Taichi began to struggle even harder, equally impassioned. The guards pushed him to the ground, forcing him to go down on his knees as well.

Hikari advanced away from the others. "Father, please, don't hurt him anymore." The King merely stared in surprise as she walked to Daisuke and knelt beside him. "Daisuke. Stand your ground," she whispered.

The entire room became silent once more as they watched the scene.

"Hikari. I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should have told you."

She shook her head and wiped some of the blood from where it dripped into his eye - the result of a nasty bruise above his eyebrows. It stained her hand, but she didn't notice. "You were protecting your friend. I would do the same for you. Don't give in. Please."

He nodded weakly. "Thank you," he whispered.

The King regained control over himself. "Hikari," he warned.

The Princess stood up. "Father, I don't care what you think. This boy is an innocent. If you wish to keep hurting him, you will have to deal with Taichi and I."

"Me, too!" Takeru agreed. He stepped away from the crowd and stood next to his friend. His knees were shaking so badly he could hardly stand, but he put an arm on Hikari's shoulder and one on Daisuke's. "Daisuke is not a criminal, sire. He doesn't deserve this."

Yamato stood beside his brother. "Daisuke has a good heart," he agreed. "Hurting him like this is _wrong_."

"Very wrong," Sora agreed. She stepped next to Yamato and looked closely at Daisuke. "If he has received this many injuries in two days for a crime this small, I fear for those who were forced 

to steal."

Miyako grabbed Ken's hand in her own, much to his shock, and followed her friends. "We're all in this together," she agreed.

Daisuke felt his friend's hand on his opposite shoulder. Ken merely smiled at him kindly, and then narrowed his eyes in anger at the King. The change in emotions was instantaneous and almost eerie.

Taichi smiled slightly from his position on the floor, still being forced to kneel down despite his efforts to stand. "You see, Father? You're wrong. The consent is that you are mistaken. Daisuke has done nothing to deserve this harsh treatment."

The King laughed. "So," he declared, stepping back and resting on his throne once more. "You think you've got me then, son?"

Taichi looked away. "I once respected you, Father," he stated in a more subdued voice. "I liked your unwavering devotion to justice and right over wrong. But I was mistaken. I think your ideas of what is wrong are flawed. I'm sure others agree with me."

The King merely chuckled again. "And what is it you plan to do? Remove me from the throne?"

Taichi turned back to his father with a more determined expression. "I do indeed," he replied. "I see now it is your own foolish inflexibility that makes it impossible to convince you of your errors."

The King sighed dramatically. "It's a disgrace, Taichi," he stated bluntly. "You would have made a very good successor."

Taichi tried again to get up, but he was still restrained. His eyes were locked in silent determination. He did not reply.

The King snorted. "Don't you see?" he laughed triumphantly. "It doesn't matter if you disagree with me. I make the laws. I rule the kingdom, since I am the King. You are all _nothing_ compared to me."

Ken spoke then, surprising even Daisuke. "That's not true," he stated.

The King gasped. Everyone was too stunned to speak.

"The people with the true power are not those who rule, like yourself," he explained with an unshakably calm voice. "You are outnumbered, your majesty. If the people are unhappy with your 

rule, they are perfectly capable and justified in removing you from power."

The King laughed. "So, I'm outnumbered, am I? Well, let me even the odds." He nodded to the guards at the entrance once more, and they once more opened the heavy door.

A collective gasp came from the group in the throne room as a dark figure dressed in a cloak and a dark hood entered. "I knew it," Ken gasped. "He works for you. But who is he?"

The hooded bandit walked to the front of the room with a determined pace. He paused in front of the King and waited. Then, in a gruff, deep voice, he spoke. "Shall I answer his question?"

Taichi gasped. "I know you!" he realized.

The figure removed his hood to reveal the King's Leomon. There was another collective gasp from all but Taichi and the King.

"I should have known," Yamato hissed. "He fought stronger than any human I've ever seen."

The King nodded proudly. "You are intelligent, Ishida," he commented sardonically. He smiled arrogantly and turned to Leomon. "Take my son and this - prisoner - to the dungeon."

"No!" Hikari gasped. She stepped between Daisuke and Leomon. "Please, Father. Take me instead."

"Hikari. You are still young. You were obedient before. I would have been willing to forgive you for your actions. Why do you challenge me now?"

"I'm not young anymore, Father. I turned sixteen yesterday. I'm no longer a child, and I can think for myself. I don't want you to forgive me. I want you to change your mind. Take me. Leave Daisuke. He's hurt badly."

The King sighed deeply. "Very well. As you wish."

Daisuke objected. "No. Hikari -," he pleaded, eyes wide.

Hikari shook her head firmly, silencing him. "I'll be fine, Daisuke," she assured him.

Leomon led both the royal offspring out of the room.

"As for the rest of you," the King decided. "You shall remain out of the dungeon, but not free. I'm afraid I cannot overlook this rebelliousness. You will all be confined to a room until further notice. I wish to hear no more defiance."

No one responded. They knew better than to further anger the King at that moment. "Ichijouji," he added unexpectedly. "I wish to speak with you."

Ken looked alarmed momentarily. He nodded. "As you wish," he replied quietly.

Daisuke shot his friend a fleeting look, but no one spoke. The guard who had brought Daisuke to the throne room removed his chains. Then they were all led out of the room, Takeru and Miyako helping to support him.

As soon as they were gone, the King sighed and relaxed into his throne. He waved a hand, dismissing Iori, Koushiro, and Jyou, who had merely watched the entire proceedings with silent shock. "That was more stressful then I had originally thought," he commented casually.

Ken didn't reply. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to. "Sire?"

"Ah, yes. That's right. I needed to give you some information."

Ken felt a pain in the pit of his stomach. He feared the worse. "Oh?" he questioned, trying to hide his fear and nervousness.

The King grew a bit more serious and sad for the moment. "I received some news a short while ago from your mother."

"My mother?" Ken was taken aback.

"It appears that your father is very ill." He frowned. "I'm sorry to hear of this."

Ken merely stared in complete shock. "My father?" he repeated.

The King nodded. "He came down with a bad illness last week. It appears it has only worsened."

He nodded. "I see."

"Your mother asked that this letter be given to you." The King held out an envelope that he produced from somewhere inside his robes. Ken took it cautiously.

"Thank you, sire," he replied. The King nodded and gestured to one of the guards by the door. They stepped forward.

"You're a strange one, Ichijouji," he commented as Ken turned to leave. "Not at all like your brother."

Ken paused. "No sir. I'm not."

***

Miyako carefully wiped the cloth over Daisuke's face, hoping to remove some of the blood. Ugly purple-colored bruises covered his face and much of his body. "What on earth did they hit you 

with, a building?"

"No," Daisuke replied between swipes of the fabric. "Just fists."

Sora took the blood-covered rag from Miyako and handed her a clean one. "I didn't know you had that much blood in your body," she commented.

"You know, we still don't know one thing," Takeru remembered. He sat behind his brother, who was carefully dabbing another wet handkerchief over Daisuke's back.

"What's that?" Sora wondered.

"We still don't know why he's after Miyako," the boy answered.

"We can guess," Yamato replied. Daisuke winced as he dabbed a particularly nasty looking gash.

"Well, if the King is after her, it's probably because her parents angered him," the injured boy stated bluntly.

Miyako frowned in thought. "I don't know," he replied. "I don't remember my parents angering him. It could have happened before I was born. But then, why kidnap me? I had nothing to do with it."

"Your parents have lived in that secluded country manor since before you were born," Sora recalled. "It could be that they decided to live there to avoid the King." Miyako nodded. "That could be," she agreed.

"And he's after you because you are the most vulnerable," Daisuke continued. "At least I think. He could have other reasons."

Miyako frowned. "I feel very unsafe now," she admitted.

Yamato shook his head. "Actually, Miyako, I think you're very safe now. The King has dropped all the pretenses of worrying about your safety and confined you to a room. As far as I'm concerned, that's the same as kidnapping." He sighed in frustration. "Daisuke, I'm never going to finish if you don't hold still."

"I can't hold still because it hurts," his patient protested. "And every time you touch it, it hurts more!"

Yamato groaned. "I can't help that, Daisuke. The wounds have to be cleaned."

The door to the parlor opened then and Ken stepped in. He held a white envelope in his hands and had a stunned look on his face.

"Are you alright?" Miyako asked.

Ken held up the white envelope without a word. He sank into the nearest chair.

"What is it?" Takeru wondered.

He didn't respond.

Daisuke pulled away from Yamato and Miyako and approached his friend. "Ken? What happened?" Fear gripped his stomach sharply.

Ken handed the envelope to the other boy, who took it tentatively.

"It's an envelope," Daisuke stated the obvious. "You want me to open it?"

He nodded.

The others were intrigued and concerned. They gathered around Ken and Daisuke. Daisuke sat on the floor beside his friend's chair and opened the envelope. Silently he read over the words, his eyes growing wide. "Ken - it's from your mother."

The boy nodded. "I know," he whispered hoarsely. He cleared his throat. "My father is sick."

Daisuke nodded as he read the words. "She says he's gotten worse over the past few days." He checked the date at the top. "It's a few days old."

Ken nodded once more.

No one spoke the obvious implication. If he had only gotten worse over a few days, he could be deceased by the time the letter had been delivered.

Daisuke stood up and, on impulse, hugged his friend. Ken looked startled, and then snapped out of his confused state. When he was released, he looked a bit less lost.

"Thanks," he replied sheepishly.

Daisuke only nodded. "It's really not going well, is it?" he commented.

Ken shook his head. "No. It's going very badly." He sighed and put his head in his hands. "Very badly."

***

Sorry if this part is immensely sappy. I needed something dramatic so that everyone would be banded together _and_ so we would finally see who the real bad guy was in this. If anyone guessed who the hooded guy was before this, I applaud you.

Never fear, Mimi, Jyou, Iori, and Koushiro get larger parts soon! ^_^ Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews, they're really appreciated. 

Oh, and in case anyone was confused, I own only the plot. No point in suing me, you'll only get my stuffed cow, and that's after a _lot_ of struggles.


	8. Part Eight: *Interlude* - Discoveries

The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part Eight

Taichi grit his teeth as he felt the whip slash across his back once more. He refused to cry out, but it was difficult. He shut his eyes and grimaced in pain as the lashes came harder and more frequently.

Hikari was chained to the opposite wall. Tears ran down her face as she watched her brother's severe beating. "Hang in there, Taichi," she whispered softly, though she knew he wouldn't be able to hear her.

***

"I suppose things are at a standstill now," Ken noted. He had, at Daisuke's insistence, taken over the job of cleaning the wounds on his back. Yamato had not protested.

"Seems that way," Daisuke replied. He and Ken were sitting far enough away from the others that he felt safe to whisper something to his friend that he wouldn't have mentioned in front of the others. "I was really afraid the King figured it out today," he confessed in a low voice.

Ken nodded his agreement, placing the wet cloth on a particularly nasty wound. "I was too," he confessed. "If you think about it, all the times he showed up, I wasn't there."

Daisuke chuckled slightly. "True," he agreed.

"I guess that the King has the next move," Miyako commented as she walked toward the boys.

"Certainly looks that way," Ken agreed. He frowned as he placed the wet cloth on a nasty wound. He applied pressure, and the blood began to soak into the cloth. He held it there for a few moments, and then removed the blood-soaked fabric, reaching for a new one.

Miyako was peering over his shoulder as he worked. "You do that very well," she noted.

He shrugged. "Lord Jyou and Koushiro were my tutors for a brief period when I was young," he replied with a dismissive shrug. "I remember a bit of what I was taught."

Miyako nodded and sat on the window seat directly behind his chair. For a few moments, she silently watched his work. "I'm worried," she confessed suddenly.

"Oh?" he asked, not really looking up from his work.

"This Dark Bandit guy - he hasn't shown up in a few days. I wonder if he's alright?"

"Probably," he replied calmly. "He most likely understands that it's a risk for him to show himself right now."

"I suppose. I think there's another reason behind it, though."

He paused in his work, intrigued enough by her comment to respond. "Oh?"

She shrugged casually. "I've been thinking that perhaps he's someone I know."

"Why do you think that?"

Another shrug. "Well, he did help to save my life a few times. Most random strangers wouldn't do that. Would they?"

He looked back to his work but did not continue. "Depends on the stranger," he replied cryptically.

There was silence for a few moments. He returned to his work, picking up another clean cloth and dipping it in the water.

"Do you have any theories?" she wondered.

He held the cloth securely on the wound directly below the neck. "Not a clue," he replied casually. "Do you?"

"A few," she replied. There was another pause. "I think Daisuke has fallen asleep sitting up." 

"Daisuke?" Ken asked. He turned himself, looking around. The boy had indeed closed his eyes and was now snoring softly, leaning his head against the window seat next to him. "It appears so," he reported. "In a few moments he's going to be snoring."

"He snores?"

"Loudly."

"Must be hard to live with."

"Very. But I've gotten used to it," he answered with a shrug. "Tell me about these theories."

Miyako blinked. "Theories? Oh, about the bandit. Right."

"Right. So?"

She shrugged with forced casualness, though he wasn't looking her way. "Well, I was going over who it could be and who it could not. You see, at first I thought it might be Daisuke, but it isn't."

"It isn't?"

She shook her head. "No. He was there a few times when he showed up. That same thing rules out Taichi, Hikari, Yamato, Takeru, Sora, and myself."

He nodded. "Yes," he agreed.

"The only people that weren't there when he appeared are Jun, the King and Queen, Lord Jyou, Lord and Lady Motomiya, and Koushiro. And you," she added.

He nodded again after a moment's thought, appearing to ignore his own inclusion. "So you think it's one of them?"

"Well, it couldn't be the King. It's obvious he hates him. Why would he be someone he hates? Why would he send Leomon to fight himself? I doubt it's the Queen for a similar reason." "Reasonable."

"I really doubt it's Jun," she continued. "I've only known her for a short while, but she doesn't seem to be very adventurous."

"I can agree with that," he replied.

"Lady Motomiya seems quite like her daughter," she explained. "Besides her illness. And Lord Motomiya appears too old and preoccupied with his wife at the moment to be a bandit."

"Indeed."

"I doubt Jyou and Koushiro for the same reason as Jun."

"Agreed. Doctors and wizards aren't exactly action-oriented." There was a short pause. Then they were interrupted again by Daisuke snoring softly.

"That's not too loud."

"Yet," he replied. "Just wait."

She nodded, uncertain of what to say.

"So you think it's me?" he wondered, turning away from Daisuke, who was by now entirely cleansed of his wounds.

Again, she nodded nervously.

He appeared thoughtful. "What do you plan to do with this theory?" he wondered.

Miyako blinked. "I actually wasn't sure," she confessed. "I was planning to confront you."

He nodded, frowning thoughtfully again. "Ah. Consider me confronted. Now what?" He stood up, lifting the bucket of bloody cloths with him.

"Well, now is a good time to ask you if my theory is correct," she responded. He nodded again and walked away from her. She watched as he handed the bloody bucket to Sora, who was talking with Yamato and Takeru. She thanked him, and immediately returned them to the attached washroom, where she had gotten them, before returning to her conversation.

Ken returned to the window seat and began to lift Daisuke. "Help?" he asked.

Confused, Miyako stood and helped him lift the boy onto the couch. There, they laid him, face down so as not to cause him further discomfort, and pulled a blanket over him. She followed the dark-haired boy back to the window seat. He turned the chair so it was facing the window, and gestured for her to sit. She did so, and then he sat on the window seat, glancing out for a few moments in silence.

Miyako was about to repeat the question when he suddenly spoke. His voice sounded distant, as though he was thinking of other things when he spoke.

"You understand that such information as his identity is very dangerous," he stated. It wasn't really a question.

"Of course I do," she replied. She glanced towards the snoring boy. "I can see what happened to Daisuke because of it."

He nodded, still staring out the window with a thoughtful expression. "Have you discussed your theory with anyone else?" he questioned.

She shook her head. "No. Only you." 

He turned back to her then, a surprised expression on his face. "Why not?" he wondered. 

Now Miyako looked out the window in thought. After a few moments, she replied. "I understood from the first time I saw him that he was on my side," she explained. "I would not risk the life of an ally." She turned back to him with a serious expression on her face. 

He nodded in understanding, a slight smile appearing on his face. "You're a good ally, then," he complimented.

She smiled in return. "Are you confirming my suspicions, then?" she wondered, tired of beating around the bush.

"I might," he replied. He was silent a moment. He glanced toward the sleeping boy. "I ask one request in return."

"What is that?"

"Say nothing to Daisuke. He'll figure it out eventually, but keep quiet for now."

"Why?"

He looked into her eyes for a moment, and a mischievous look appeared in his own. "Just because I'd like to confuse him for a bit," he explained.

She laughed softly and nodded. "Agreed. Does this mean I have your confirmation?"

He nodded. "As long as I have your help tonight."

"Tonight? What are you going to do tonight?"

He frowned, glancing about the room and lowering his voice. "Several things, actually. I don't like that our digimon are separated. That doesn't mean anything good. I need to find them all. Second, I need to return to my room. If it hasn't been searched already. If it has, I haven't much time left alive."

She blinked. "Your disguise is hidden in your room?" He shrugged, glancing out the window.

"Very well. You've got my help. But how are you going to get out of here?"

Ken shrugged again. "The window, of course," he replied, pointing towards the window they were sitting near. 

She nodded. "What do I need to do?" 

"Cover for me if I'm discovered," he replied simply.

***

When the harsh lashings had finally been completed, Taichi felt himself thrown harshly to the ground. A few moments later he heard a similar thump and then a loud bang as the door was shut. Hikari was by his side only seconds later.

"Taichi? Are you alright? Please tell me you're alright." Her voice betrayed the tears she'd been crying.

Sitting up as much as he could bear, he coughed and spit blood on to the ground from where he had been punched in the jaw. He was surprised only a few teeth had been loosened. His sister winced as she saw the blood and rushed for the water bucket in the corner. Carefully, she dipped her hand in the cool liquid and held it to his face. "Drink," she told him, and he did so eagerly. She refilled her hand a few times, and when he could drink no more, she used the water to wash some of the blood and dirt from his face.

He groaned again and sat up the rest of the way. "Thank you," he whispered. She reached out

and pushed the hair from his face. She peered into his determined but tired and pain filled eyes.

"That was really bad," she told him sympathetically, and he nodded in agreement.

"I wonder," he began hoarsely, and paused to clear his dry throat. When he spoke again, it was only slightly clearer. "I wonder what he did with the digimon."

Hikari frowned. She herself had been worried about Tailmon almost as much as she'd been concerned for Taichi. "I have no idea," she replied. She held out her hand again. "More water?"

He drank eagerly. "Agumon," he said in a voice that was a bit clearer. "I hope he's alright." 

Hikari placed a hand on his shoulder. "Taichi, I'm sure Agumon can handle himself," she assured him, hiding her own fears.

***

Ken noted the soft snores from much of the group. Cautiously, he sat up and moved from his sleeping place. He placed his pillow and another spare one under his blanket so it would appear as though he was sleeping if any of the guards should peek in.

He crept quietly to the window that he had been sitting near with Miyako only hours earlier.

It was locked, of course, since they were supposed to be confined, but he had no doubt of his

ability to pick the lock. After all, his specialty was springing people out of jails,

dungeons, and prisons. If only he had something to pick it with.

As softly as possible, he crept to the nearest sleeping female. Miyako had two pins in her

hair - he could see them, glinting in the moonlight. Somehow, he managed to remove one of

them without her noticing. She didn't even stir in her sleep.

Relieved, Ken let out a silent sigh of relief and sneaked back to the window. He fiddled with

the lock for a few moments, having never used a hair pin for this purpose or any other before, and then it opened with a soft clicking noise.

He froze, hoping that no one had heard the noise. Thankfully, none of the sleepers stirred except Daisuke, who chose that moment to snore loudly. He slipped out the window, sticking the pin in his pocket for future reference and shutting it behind him.

Outside the window was a small and not very sturdy veranda. It was a significant height from the ground. Below, he could see two guards standing watch. The roof was only a story above him.

Gripping his fingers in the side of the castle, Ken scaled the wall with the ease of practice. The flat stone roof in this wing was empty, and he ran quickly and stealthily along it until he had reached the roof above where he knew his and Daisuke's rooms were. He lowered himself down into the tree beside his window and peered into his room.

Ken's room was rather disorganized. With a frown of anxiousness and fear, he slipped in through the window.

His bed had been torn apart, and the drawers of his temporary dresser opened and flung about. The entire contents of his traveling trunk at the foot of his bed had been removed and tossed around the room.

Ken lit the candle kept by his bed and peered about the room in the dim light. Under his bed was the small flat box he was so worried about. He had decided to hide it in a different spot each night, being quite unsatisfied with simply one. The last had been in the corner under his bed. Wisely, he had hid it in a spot near the wall, where the candle's light from either side did not touch it.

With relief, he removed the quite familiar outfit from the box and slipped into it, putting his clothes in the box. He took the hat and placed it on his head, and then triumphantly tied

the mask around his face. However, he was weaponless. After a bit more searching, he was still unable to locate his sword.

Disappointed, he put his old clothes in the box and departed through his window, dousing the candle as he went. He peered into Daisuke's room. It had been dismantled as much as his own, which did not surprise him. However, they had left the ceremonial sword that the boy kept on hand for special occasions. Brandishing that weapon, he slipped out the window again.

His spare clothes were easily hid in a tree near the room where the others were located. Judging from the sky, the Dark Bandit estimated he had a few hours left to search for the digimon. He also would have liked to check up on the royal children, but he knew it would be next to impossible to find or release them.

Swiftly, he moved along the roof, pausing at every window to peer inside. Most of them were dark, due to the late hour, but he checked them all, finding most of them empty or occupied with sleeping servants.

One room had a light in it, however, and he peered into that one with curiosity. He was surprised to find it was Daisuke's parents' room. Lord Motomiya was sitting beside his wife, wiping her head with a cool cloth. Jun stood in the doorway, watching the scene and wiping the tears from her eyes.

He considered his surrogate sister's dilemma. She was most likely greatly worried about her brother and her mother. He wondered how much she and her father had been told about Daisuke's imprisonment.

Suddenly, he had a new mission. He slipped back to the roof and made his way to the suite Jun had shared with Sora and Miyako. He entered her room and managed to locate a small notebook on her dresser. He recalled her passion for journal writing.

Quickly, he scribbled a short note on the top page of the book and left it open on her bed.

He debated signing it for a few moments, but decided against it. It might confuse her or scare her in some way. He assumed that she would know who it was. Suddenly, he heard a noise in the hallway, and slipped out the window as she returned.

***

Alraumon observed her partner as they returned to her chambers, carrying a single candle. "There are so many things to worry about," she noted with some concern.

"There are," Jun agreed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "First Mother, and then Daisuke. Now Mother is worse, and I'm not sure what has happened to Daisuke. Or Ken," she added. "I hope they're alright." She made her way to her closet and located her nightgown.

Alraumon had climbed on to the bed and noticed the notebook lying there. She began to read aloud. "_Jun_," she began. "_I assure you that your brother is safe for the moment, though I cannot assure you of how long this will last. If you wish to send him a message, leave it on the balcony and it shall be delivered_."

Jun stepped away from the closet, nightgown now over her head. "Where did you get this?" she demanded of her digimon.

The plant type shrugged. "It was written in the journal," she explained, holding it up.

"Who's it from?" she wondered. A shrug was her only answer.

"Are you going to write to Daisuke?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I am. I'll have it finished in a half-hour. I just wonder who the delivery boy is."

***

The aforementioned delivery person was making his way to another room. This one was dark, but a single candle could be seen if one looked at it from the right angle. The room was located in the top of one of the castle's numerous towers. It was surrounded by guards, making it quite suspicious looking. 

At first, this confused the Dark Bandit. Surely the King would not be awake late plotting his next move in a tall tower room. And he would not have left his children imprisoned in a tower. He would have most likely put them in the dungeon, same as Daisuke. 

Because of its location, the tower room was difficult to get to. He could not simply stroll over and scale the side of the building. As it was also taller than the rest of the castle, he could not simply walk along the roof and slide down the side, either. 

In the end, the Dark Bandit was forced to climb from the roof up to the side of the tower. This was easier said than done, but he managed to succeed. 

When he reached the window with the candle light, he discovered that it was, to no surprise, barred. Peering with the aid of the single candle, he was attempted to discern just what occupied the room.

At first it appeared to merely be a group of small, dark, shadows clustered together. When he squinted, however, he was able to make out exactly what they were. 

***

Daisuke felt the sunlight hit his face early that morning, though he hadn't recalled falling asleep the night before. As he sat up, he noted that he was the privileged one to get the couch. 

The others were scattered about the floor, most of them still asleep. 

Miyako and Takeru were beginning to awaken at the same time. Daisuke noted that Ken, Yamato, and Sora were still in dreamland. He yawned slightly and swung his legs over the side of the couch, sitting up. Accepting the unspoken invite, Miyako and Takeru joined him after a moment. 

"I wonder if we'll eat today," Takeru wondered. They had not been given food the evening before, despite his and Yamato's protests to the guards outside the locked door. 

In a flash of déjà vu, Daisuke frowned. "I wonder what happened to our digimon," he wondered. 

Miyako yawned, unconcerned for the moment about food. "They're probably somewhere like us," she commented. 

The redhead frowned even deeper, shaking his head. "That's just not right. Digimon shouldn't be separated from their partners." 

"Normally, they aren't," Takeru reminded them. "But this is _not_ a normal situation." 

"Does the King hope to weaken us by separating us?" Daisuke demanded. He stood up and paced back and forth, managing to avoid the others still asleep. 

"Probably," the girl replied, yawning once more. She blinked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and peered past Daisuke. "Hey - what's that on the balcony?" 

Daisuke paused in his pacing to turn to where she was pointing. A small wooden box sat on the veranda just outside the window, gathering dewdrops in the early morning. 

"Good question," Takeru agreed. He followed her to the window. All three of them pressed their faces to the glass and peered at the box. "It wasn't there last night, was it?" 

"I didn't see it," Miyako noted, and Daisuke agreed. 

"Well, let's bring it in," he decided. 

"Daisuke, how?" Takeru wondered. He pointed to the lock on the window. "We can't open it." 

"Sure we can," the other boy replied. He looked to Miyako. "Haven't you got a hair pin?" 

Miyako reached into her hair and felt around for a moment. "Somewhere," she mumbled. After a 

while, she located one and handed it to him. "Funny. I thought I had two in here," she commented with a slight frown of confusion. 

Daisuke lifted the pin and stuck it in the lock. For a few moments he fiddled with the thin metal accessory. 

"Daisuke," Takeru began, ready to suggest that they simply break one of the panes of glass. 

Suddenly, there was a soft click, and the window opened. He and Miyako stared in surprise. 

"How did you do that?" she wondered as he returned the hair pin. 

"Luck, I guess," he replied with a shrug. He slowly opened the window and crawled out into the air. For a moment, he paused, having not breathed fresh air in a few days. Then he recalled his mission and crawled on to the veranda. A few moments later he had retrieved the box and returned to the others. 

"What's in it?" Miyako demanded as he shut and therefore locked the window. 

"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet," he replied, sitting down on the window seat and removing the top. 

Inside were a few folded pieces of paper and some small jars. Daisuke recognized them as 

healing salve, and smiled to himself. Not only was it healing salve, it was _his_ healing salve, from _his_ box of medical supplies. The papers were more ambiguous. 

They were grouped into two piles. One had curved, flowery writing on it and had his name written on the outside. The other was not addressed. Miyako lifted the blank one and began to skim the words. 

Takeru examined the healing salve, wondering where the mysterious box had come from. Daisuke read the papers addressed to him. Immediately it became obvious they were from his sister. 

"Daisuke, I have received word that you are alright. It will please Mother and Father greatly to hear of this," he read softly. "A letter informing me of your safety was written in my journal last night. I am uncertain if I will see you again, but I am certain that your disappearance has something to do with the current situation with the King's children. We were told that you had been imprisoned for defying the King. That most certainly sounds like you." 

Miyako and Takeru could not resist laughing in response to that statement. Daisuke frowned at them momentarily before continuing. 

"I don't know what you have been told about Mother, but she is progressing badly," he continued slowly. "She developed a fever recently, and has been floating in and out of awareness daily. Father hopes to beseech the King on her behalf that she might see you before she must pass on. She continues bravely, Daisuke, but I know she has little time remaining. I'm certain you are aware as well." 

Daisuke paused and collected himself before he continued reading. Takeru placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, and Miyako hugged him slightly. 

"I hope this letter finds you in decent conditions. I would hate to see you in too much pain. I hope that this situation passes soon enough and you are freed again soon. Until then, I will assure our parents of your safety and continue hoping. Your sister, Jun." 

Daisuke refolded the letter with a frown. The fact that a letter had been delivered to his sister both disturbed and pleased him in many ways. He had no doubt as to who had written the letter - or who had delivered this one. His eyes fell on a sleeping figure. 

Miyako interrupted before his thoughts could go any further. "This letter is important as well," she told them. "I think we should wake the others and read it to them." 

Daisuke and Takeru shrugged in agreement. 

***

Sora slept fitfully that night. Her dreams were filled with violent images. Blood spraying, 

flashes of red light. She winced in expectant pain. 

"Sora," she heard Miyako's voice call from somewhere in the darkness. She tried to run, to get to her, but found herself lost in the inky blackness. "Sora." 

The face of the King flashed before her, insanity twinkling in his eyes. He had once been so kind. What had happened since she had last seen him? 

"Sora, wake up," the girl called again. 

There was a screaming noise from somewhere, and she turned to see what it was. She was unable, though. With great fear, she sat in the darkness and huddled her legs to her chest.

"Sora?" 

There was a shaking noise. Then the hideous sound of a whip cracking, and that screaming again. 

With a shock, she sat up to find herself asleep in the parlor they had been confined to. She 

grasped her chest, feeling as though her beating heart would leap from her body. 

"Sora?" Miyako's voice asked again, this time filled with worry and concern. "Are you alright?" 

She blinked a few times to assure herself that this was, indeed, reality. "I think so," she replied. "Just a scary dream." 

"You too?" she heard a voice question, and turned to see Yamato a few feet away. He was sitting up in bed. Though he asked it in a solemn, dry, emotionless voice, she could see that his eyes were wide and wild and she guessed that he'd had a similar dream. 

"Yeah," she replied. "It was weird. There was screaming, and some sort of pain and the King's face. His eyes looked insane." 

Yamato's face grew pale, and Takeru gripped his brother strongly, holding him up lest he faint. "The same dream," he whispered. "I had the same dream." He stood up, brushing his brother away. "What does it mean?" 

Sora's eyes were filled with fear. "I don't doubt what it means," she replied sensibly. "Our 

digimon are in serious danger."

Miyako blinked in surprise and glanced at the letter in her hand. She held it up. "We received a message from our ally," she reported. 

Yamato frowned and sat on the couch. "What does it say?" he demanded. 

"Hey, wait, we've got to wake Ken," Takeru reminded them. Daisuke sat near his friend, who was just now sitting up, yawning. 

"Did you dream it too?" Sora wondered. 

The dark haired boy blinked in confusion. "I dreamt, but as far as I know it was my own dream," he replied shortly. 

"Read the letter, Miyako," Yamato prompted. 

Miyako nodded. "Allies," she read. "Apologies for the lack of help in your situation. I have been delayed by other matters. I have information that may be of use to you. It involves the location of your digimon. They are currently unharmed, but in a tower room in the east wing of the castle. Upon recent inspection, I found them all to be malnourished but safe. I don't doubt that the situation may change if the King is provoked in any way." 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at hearing of the digimon's safety. 

Miyako peered up from the letter. "That's all it says," she finished. 

"That's awfully short," Takeru commented. "I thought perhaps he'd give us some information on Taichi and Hikari." He frowned thoughtfully.

"It's probably very difficult to get into the dungeon, even late at night," Yamato reminded his brother. "And it would be very risky for him to go down there only for a short visit." 

Daisuke nodded his agreement at that statement, having had an extended visit in said dungeon himself. "If they're being held where I was, it's at least two or three floors under the castle," he reported. 

"So the digimon are safe, for now. What do we do in the meantime?" Sora wondered. 

"It's still the King's move," Yamato decided. He folded his arms against his chest and frowned in thought. "Our side had a move, but it wasn't really much." 

"As long as we're trapped here, we can't really do anything," Takeru agreed, gesturing to the room around him. 

"I really don't think the King is merely going to keep us here indefinitely," Sora stated sensibly. "Surely he has other plans." 

"Right now Miyako and Daisuke are the most at risk," Ken said with a half-yawn that came from getting only a few hours of sleep. 

"We are?" Daisuke and Miyako repeated blankly, and he nodded. 

"Miyako has been at risk the entire time," he reminded them both. "That hasn't changed. The King wanted you for some purpose. We still haven't figured out what that is. I'm sure we will eventually."

Miyako shuddered slightly, and Sora reached out to comfort her friend with a smile. "We'll try to keep you safe as best we can," she told the girl, though they both knew that if the King was after her for any reason they would be quite powerless. 

"And Daisuke is the only one who knows the identity of our ally," Yamato reminded the confused boy. He gestured towards the sheet of paper Miyako still held. "As long as the King feels he is an enemy, and, the way it looks now, he will be for quite some time, Daisuke is at risk." 

Daisuke nodded his own agreement. "If Hikari hadn't stepped in for me, I would be in that dungeon right at this moment," he recalled. A single tear formed in his left eye, and he looked at the ground, hoping to conceal it from the others. 

There was a moment of silence. "The King will make a move soon," Takeru sighed. "He's not going to sit quietly now that he has what he wants." 

***

The day passed slowly. Around noon, the group was fed bowls of the gruel Daisuke recalled from the prison. As before, it was tasteless but not excessively vile. There were complaints about the consistency of the goop, and jokes about it, but spirits were low. 

Shortly after the meal had been finished, the door opened again and a figure entered, flanked by two guards.

At first, no one was certain who – or what - it was. It was dressed in raggedy clothes that were covered with filth, and its head was bent in exhaustion. The guards roughly tossed it into the room, and Daisuke, being the closest to the door, was surprised to find a human being suddenly occupying his lap. 

"Hikari!" he gasped, once he had recognized the girl. She managed to pull herself off of him sheepishly, taking a seat instead beside him. 

"Sorry, Daisuke," she apologized in a soft voice.

He shook his head. "Are you alright?" he demanded, pushing his half-empty goop-bowl aside and leaning towards her. 

She nodded, and he could now see the tear streaks in the dirt beside her face. A few swipes of dried blood were on her face, especially around her eyes, but Daisuke could not see any wounds. "I wasn't hurt, Daisuke," she explained.

"But –," he protested, and faltered momentarily. "There's – there's blood. And – you look – well," he stumbled over his words for a moment. 

"I think he means you look horrible, Princess," Ken commented wryly from his seat somewhere behind the boy. 

Hikari glanced down at herself and nodded. "It's dirty in the dungeon," she answered, by way of explanation. "But I wasn't hurt. The blood is from my brother." 

There was a gasp from the rest of the group. "He had Taichi hurt?" Yamato gasped. 

The Princess nodded. "Whipped," she answered, looking away. "Severely." 

"His own son," Yamato repeated in a whisper.

"Who knew he could sink that low," Sora agreed with a shake of the head. She stood up from her seat and slipped into the small washroom off to the side. It was a tiny, closet-sized room, but it was kept supplied with water. Another locked door led out of it, and servants would occasionally enter and leave, replenishing the water supply. 

When she returned to the main room, she found the others were briefing Hikari on the situation, showing her the letter they had received and explaining about the dreams Sora and Yamato had bothexperienced the night before. 

Hikari was not surprised to hear of that, at least. Her brother, she reported, had experienced a similar nightmare the previous evening. "He woke up shouting in the middle of the night," she explained. "At first I thought he was just scared, and he told me that, but then he confessed that he had actually dreamt that Agumon was hurt." 

Sora nodded. "I don't doubt they are in serious danger," she repeated. She held out a clean cloth and some water and wiped the blood and dirt from her face. Daisuke offered her the rest of his gruel, which she gladly accepted, having not been fed either. 

"I wonder why you were returned here," Takeru wondered thoughtfully as he slurped his own food. 

"Perhaps to attempt to teach his son a stronger lesson," Yamato mused. "If Taichi is alone, it's more difficult for him to resist the torture. Especially if he is uncertain of his sister's safety." 

"It's also possible he's rescinding on our deal," the Princess theorized. She turned to Daisuke. "If I was released, you may be in danger once more." 

The redhead sitting beside her frowned shyly and peered at the ground. "I'd rather be whipped a hundred times than have you imprisoned for me, Hikari," he said in a quiet voice. 

Hikari smiled softly. "That is sweet of you to say, Daisuke, but it isn't necessary for you to risk yourself for me."

Daisuke smiled shyly back at her, turning slightly red. 

Yamato pretended to ignore the blushing faces and awkward scene in front of him. "It would be so much better if we knew what he wanted," he grumbled, and several of the others agreed. 

There were a few moments of silence before the door opened again and the guards reentered. 

***

Taichi groaned half in pain and half in delight as he devoured the gruel that had been placed before him. Hikari's disappearance this morning worried him, but served to strengthen his resolve. He was more determined than ever that his father was wrong in his beliefs and he was being punished wrongly.

He emptied the bowl entirely and tossed it aside. It was edible. He wasn't used to food like that, being raised as a Prince, after all, but he supposed he could survive on it if necessary. At the moment, it certainly seemed necessary. He hardly had the motivation for a hunger strike.

From the hall there was suddenly a loud clanking. _'Hikari?'_ he thought. He stood up and stumbled weakly to the door. Through the tiny barred window he was able to make out two guards leading a third figure as it stumbled down the corridor. He peered closely through the bars, and was able to discern that it was definitely not his sister. 

"Daisuke," he noted. "What happened? Why is he here again?" 

***

The recent exchange of hostages left everyone confused and tense. Ken and Yamato paced

alternately across the room. Takeru sat on the window seat, watching with some amusement as they avoided walking into each other by only narrow spaces. Hikari was managing to nap on the couch, having been kept awake the previous night worrying about Taichi. Miyako was lost in thought in one of the chairs, and Sora in another. 

"It just doesn't seem to make any sense," Yamato grumbled for the thousandth time as he passed his brother. 

"It doesn't," Takeru agreed. "Why would the King treat his own son so harshly?" 

Yamato paused momentarily to shrug in response. "I think that he had high expectations for Taichi to succeed him," he replied as he resumed his walk. "Maybe he thinks that if he beats his opinions into him, he'll be more obedient." 

"That's not going to work," the younger brother commented. 

"No. I know Taichi. Being beaten and tortured will only make him resent and dislike his father even more." 

"I don't understand this," Sora spoke up. "When we were children, the King seemed to be so nice. Now, it's almost as though he were a different person." 

Now it was Ken's turn to pause pacing. "When I spoke with him after Taichi and Hikari were

led away, he seemed to be a different person," he recalled with his own thoughtful frown. "He seemed to be genuinely concerned for my father. One would think that he would hide such information from me at a time like that, but he didn't."

Sora was about to respond to that when she heard a soft scraping noise. "What on earth?" she wondered, standing up and following the noise. 

"Sora?" Miyako questioned.

"I hear something," she reported. She paused and cocked her head to one side. "Listen. Hear that?" 

Miyako shook her head blankly. 

"I hear it," Takeru replied. "It's coming from over there." He pointed towards the attached washroom.

Sora opened the door to the washroom. The sound was louder now and she could hear it coming from the other side of the opposite entrance. Curiously, she placed an ear to the door, and then stepped back. "Hello?" she asked cautiously. 

The scratching noise stopped momentarily. A voice answered from the other side. "Hello? Who's there?" 

"Sora. Sora Takenouchi," she replied. "Who are you?" 

"Izumi. Koushiro," the voice answered. "I come seeking information." 

"Koushiro, what are you doing here?" Yamato demanded from behind her. 

"Just what I said," the wizard replied. "Seeking information. Please stand back." 

"Stand back?" Miyako repeated. "Why?" 

"When it comes to a wizard, don't ask questions like that," Ken advised. Everyone obediently stepped back a few steps. A moment later there was a puff of smoke and the door swung open with a creak. Miyako blinked in surprise. 

She had only seen Koushiro a few times before, and this was the first time up close. He was a short man with wild red hair that nearly rivaled Daisuke's. He was dressed in a simple brown robe and carried a leather pouch which he tied around his waist. He smiled pleasantly as he entered. 

"Greetings," he announced cheerfully. "I come seeking and bringing information." 

***

Daisuke sighed slightly as he was returned to the cell he had left only a day before. Once again he was chained, arms to the wall, standing uncomfortably. "Great," he grumbled. "This time there's no one to talk to." Not surprisingly, he found himself missing V-mon quite a bit. 

From behind him he could hear a pounding noise. "What is that?" he wondered. Annoyed, he kicked his foot into the wall, the only solid thing he could reach. He succeeded in only mildly injuring his foot as it banged into the stone wall. 

"Ouch!" he shouted louder than he had originally intended. He swore under his breath and favored his opposite foot.

***

Taichi heard the loud shout, though not the colorful word that followed. He smiled slightly. "That's Daisuke," he whispered to himself. "Act before you think." 

He realized that he was going to have to find some way of communication that was more effective than simple banging. He took the rock that he had found and searched the wall for a weak spot. He found one in the middle of the wall close to the ground. It was a long crack that was nearly a foot long. 

***

Daisuke frowned as the banging continued. His head began to ache. He repressed the impulse to bang his bare foot against the wall again, deciding instead to swear under his breath once more. 

It was going to be a long day, a long night, and a long prison stay, he decided. Especially if that noise continued. 

****

Okay, raise your hand if you saw that coming. If you didn't, yea! I'm trying to be creative and different. ::shrug::

I wasn't certain at first if I wanted Miyako to discover the Dark Bandit's identity. But, as I was writing it, it became obvious that she _could_ figure it out. She's the only one to notice that both Ken and he have a Wormmon for a partner, and she notices that he's the only one to not be there when the Bandit shows up. Since I think Miyako's pretty smart, she figured it out. Apologies for any gross OOC-ness in that scene. 

In the next part, we finally see Mimi, Koushiro explains a few things (about time!), and some other stuff happens. This is ALMOST over. Of course, there may be a sequel, depending on how I work the ending. Enjoy! ^_^


	9. Part Nine: Koushiro Explains it All

Ken9

The Dark Bandit

Part Nine

The group stared at its visitor with wide eyes. 

"Koushiro, you could get in serious trouble for this," Yamato warned him. 

The redheaded wizard shrugged and walked past the boy into the room. He noted the sleeping Princess with a nod. "So this is where she has been taken," he commented. 

"Yes," Takeru replied. "The guards seemed to think the deal she made was no longer valid. They came and took Daisuke shortly after she was brought here." 

The wizard frowned. "I suspected such might happen," he confessed. "Daisuke is too valuable to the King at the moment." 

Yamato nodded. "Indeed," he agreed. 

Koushiro nodded in response. Suddenly, his eyes shifted to Miyako, who was standing almost behind Ken, confused and shy. "We have not met, have we?" he asked the girl, stepping forward. 

Miyako shook her head. "No, we have not, sir," she replied politely, forcing herself to step away from the boy. 

He nodded again. "No, I did not think so. I am Izumi Koushiro. A wizard, as you may have noticed." 

"I did indeed," she replied, deciding that he was rather interesting after all. She'd never met a real wizard before. 

"Koushiro, Miyako," Ken introduced, since she was too confused to really know what to do. 

The girl blushed slightly at her impoliteness and nodded. "Inoue Miyako," she clarified, holding out a hand to shake. With a grin, the wizard smiled and took her hand in his own, kissing it lightly as he bowed. Miyako only blushed even more furiously. 

"Inoue, ey?" he repeated. "I met your sisters once, I believe." 

She nodded. "I have two sisters," she confirmed. "And one brother." 

"Ah. So I've heard. He was too old for me to teach," he explained. He turned away from her. "But this is not the information I seek." 

"Or bring," Sora reminded him. "You said you were bringing information as well." 

"Indeed I did," the young wizard agreed. He reached into his pouch and removed a small sheet of paper. Squinting at the small words, he read silently from his list for a moment before he replied. 

"I have no proof of what I say. It is only speculation. Iori and Jyou agree with me on several of these points." He paused for effect. "First, we believe that you are all in grave danger. We also think that the King will not keep you in such luxurious surroundings." 

Miyako shuddered quietly at the thought of being transported to a dank, dirty, dark dungeon with spiders and rats crawling about. 

"Ech," Takeru agreed with her thoughts.

"I doubt he will keep us together more than a few days," Yamato spoke up. Ken and Sora agreed with him, unsurprisingly. 

The redheaded wizard nodded once again. "Secondly, Jyou believes that he may have some sort of illness which affects his mind." He frowned. "I'm not quite certain of that. I think the King may be under some sort of influence. He certainly does not seem like himself." 

"He doesn't," Sora agreed. "I have known Taichi since I was small, and his father as long. He was always kind and gentle. This does _not_ seem like him at all." 

"Iori believes, however, that the King's sense of unwavering justice may have backfired, and he is perfectly sane and in control." 

"That's possible, too," Yamato agreed. 

"What sort of influence could the King be under?" Miyako wondered. 

Koushiro shrugged slightly. "A spell of some sort?" he suggested. "Perhaps one of the nobles was able to exert a large amount of influence over him?" 

"I doubt that," Takeru commented. "The King's opinions are quite strong. He's rather difficult to convince if you disagree with him." 

"Very true," Koushiro agreed. "Third, I have learned, through Iori, of the King's interest in your digimon." 

That statement caused every eye to be upon the wizard at once. "Well, what is it?" Yamato demanded of him. 

"Well, as you know, we have been working hard to try to understand the true nature of digimon. For a long time, learned peoples have tried to classify them and explain precisely what they are. Everyone is bonded with one from an early age. They are constant companions and loyal friends. From many battles we have learned that when one is killed, the other can no longer survive. As the bond increases, the time that partners can be separated decreases." 

The others nodded. They had heard all of this before. 

"It is often believed that the bond between partners is strongest in adolescence," the young wizard continued. "The stage which we are all at right now." He paused and glanced at his paper again. "I'm sure you are all aware that they were classified eventually into three different groups?" 

"Data, Virus, and Vaccine," Sora recited obediently. "What of it?" 

Koushiro nodded. "There are also varying levels of strength in a digimon." He paused momentarily to collect his thoughts. "As you know, when two humans mate, one of their digimon will then produce an egg, which will be their child's digimon. When a digimon first hatches, it is in its weakest state, its' baby form." 

"Makes sense," Miyako agreed. "Human babies are very weak and vulnerable when first born." 

The wizard nodded in approval before he continued. "As the human child matures, so does the digimon. Most change form, or evolve, at least twice more before adulthood. For example, when my digimon, Tentomon, was first hatched, he was Babumon. When I reached five, he evolved into a Motimon. When I was twelve, he evolved once more. The second stage, Motimon, is the fresh stage. The third is commonly called a child stage, but most digimon do not evolve past that." 

"There's a stage beyond that?" Takeru asked in surprise. 

"The King's digimon is an evolved stage digimon," Yamato informed his brother. 

Koushiro nodded. "Indeed. Leomon is at what is known as the Adult stage." 

"How is it the King is able to have such a high-level digimon?" Sora questioned. "Most people have child stage, right?" 

He nodded once more. "There are only a few people in the entire world that have had an adult stage digimon," he explained. "Our King is the only one in this territory. It is most likely at least part of the reason why he rules."

"Who else has an adult stage digimon?" Ken wondered. 

"No one who's alive," the wizard replied. "There's an old legend about people a long time ago who were able to evolve their digimon even higher than adult stage, but it's very old and the true details have been obscured in strange myths. Digimon past adult stage have not been seen in many lifetimes. Some believe they are merely legends that were made up to amuse youngsters." 

"So if we were to fight against him, we'd be defeated badly," Yamato translated. 

"Precisely. An adult stage digimon is infinitely more powerful than a child." 

"Terrific," Sora muttered sarcastically. 

"Koushiro, how were those old digimon able to evolve higher?" Miyako wondered. 

Koushiro shrugged. "That's the part of the story that gets confusing. It's said that the human partners utilized strengths that were inside themselves. But it varies on precisely how they accessed them. Some stories say artifacts from an even older time were used. Pendants with magical powers. Others say strange devices with symbols on them. And other versions claim they used something called a Digimental, which allowed them to utilize the power inside them to protect their digimon as well as fight with them. The stories are old. It's uncertain of which is the truth." 

"So we probably won't be able to do it the way they did," Takeru said with a sigh. 

Koushiro shook his head. "It _is_ doubtful." 

"So, what does the King plan to do with our digimon?" Sora wondered. 

Koushiro glanced at his piece of paper once more to collect his thoughts. "I think that he may be trying to evolve his digimon to a higher stage," he stated. "It's possible that he may try to de-evolve your digimon in hopes that his own will be able to use the leftover energy." 

There was a gasp from the others. "Is that possible?" Yamato questioned skeptically. 

"There are old spells," Koushiro answered. "They haven't been used in hundreds of years. Long ago, to weaken your enemy, wizards would cast a de-evolve spell and their enemies would return to their baby stages. It was a hard spell to cast, however, and it only worked on limited amounts of digimon. It was abandoned as a useful spell many years ago." 

"Does the King have the ability to cast such a spell?" Miyako asked. 

"The King has a library of many books – magic and otherwise - in his possession as well as at least ten other wizards beside myself. If he was unable to persuade me, he could quite easily manage to convince one of them."

No one answered. It was obvious the King was much more powerful than they were. Even if all their digimon combined attacks, they still would not be able to defeat Leomon at his current stage. But if he was able to evolve further? Only if even one of them were able to evolve further would it be remotely possible to defeat the King. 

***

Taichi struck the wall once more with the heavy rock. His head hurt from the noise, and his arms were tired from banging. His weakened state made the work even harder than it would usually have been. But he was making progress. The crack in the wall had gotten larger. 

"Daisuke," he called through the crack. He could almost see light on the other side. "Daisuke, can you hear me?" There was no response. With a groan of slight defeat, the Prince lowered his arm and permitted himself to rest. He was tired of banging. 

The door to his cell swung open and a few guards entered. Quickly, Taichi repositioned the large rock so that the crack wouldn't be visible. None of them noticed it as they dragged him from the room.

***

Daisuke licked the blood from his lips and then groaned as he felt another punch make contact with his abdomen. His head was aching, his whole body was screaming in pain. Before he could stop himself, he whispered: "Please, stop." 

The guard nearest him paused momentarily. Daisuke blinked. Then felt his head nearly explode as he gripped his skull and slammed it into the wall. 

"Are you ready to talk?" he growled in his ear, making the pain even worse. 

_'Not going to give in. I can't,'_ Daisuke thought. The guard slapped him, hard, across the face. 

"Are you going to talk or not?" the guard growled again. 

_'All the pain would stop if I did,' _Daisuke reminded himself. _'It would be so much easier. But I can't. I can't give in. I can't take much more, but I can do it. I know I can. I have to.' _

The guard had given up on getting an intelligible response from his prisoner. Quickly he pulled his arm back and prepared to punch him in the stomach once more. Daisuke winced in expectant pain.

"That's enough," a stern voice snapped. Daisuke heaved a visible sigh when the fist broke off and there was no more pain. He looked up, and blinked in surprise when he saw the King standing in the doorway of his cell. 

"He still won't talk," the guard informed him. 

"I'm aware," the King replied. "But don't kill him. He's of no use to me if he's dead." 

"I wasn't going to kill him, sire." 

"Are you disagreeing with me?" 

"No, sire." 

"Good." He pointed towards the door. "Leave us." 

The guard bowed and left the room, shutting the cell door behind him. Daisuke just stared, breathing heavily in an attempt to ease his pain. 

"Surely you didn't think that you would be safe, did you?" the King questioned. Daisuke didn't respond. The King sighed a heavy sigh. He reached for the keys attached to his belt and stepped closer to the boy. 

Daisuke stared in shock and surprise as the King unshackled him. "What do you want?" 

"You know what I want," the King replied, stepping away from him once more. "You won't give it to me." 

"That's still no reason to let me go," he reasoned. 

"Oh, I have no intention of releasing you. I simply need you alive. Neither you nor your digimon are useful to me dead." 

"What do you want with V-mon?" Daisuke gasped in shock. 

The King merely shrugged once more as he left the room. "Enjoy the rest, boy," he stated without answering the question. "Soon there will be no more rest for you." 

Daisuke didn't like the sound of that, but he wasn't sure what to make of it. 

Suddenly, he heard the banging that had been going on for the past few hours stop suddenly. He barely had time to wonder what that meant when he heard a door slam open and then shut again. 

***

V-mon was barely conscious, but he managed to open his eyes. "Daisuke?" he whispered. But his partner was not nearby. He knew that much. He was very weak. 

"V-mon, you're awake!" Patamon noted cheerfully. 

"Are you alright?" Hawkmon questioned. 

The little blue digimon groaned and held his head. "I think so," he mumbled. "I'm just really tired." 

"That's normal," Piyomon assured him. "You're away from your partner, so you're feeling drained." 

"You can say that again." V-mon peered around him. He was in a small cage. There was barely enough room for him to stand, let alone walk around. From the bars he could see that the other digimon were in similar cages, and that the cages were arranged in a circle. 

Directly to his right was Hawkmon, and then Wormmon beside him. Then came an empty cage, Piyomon, Agumon, Gabumon, two empty cages in a row, Patamon, another empty cage, and, finally, to the left of V-mon, Tailmon. A quick glance around the room told him that all of the other digimon appeared to be fine, although tired. All, that is, except Agumon, who was still unconscious and looked in worse shape than V-mon did. 

"What's the matter with him?" 

Gabumon spoke up. "We think that Taichi must be in some sort of pain," he explained. "Daisuke might be, too, if you're so weak." 

V-mon nodded worriedly. "Why have we been separated?" he wondered. "That's not right." 

"We're not sure," Wormmon answered for the group. "The King might be planning something."

"But why would the King want to hurt his own son?" Piyomon questioned. 

"Because his son needs to be taught respect," a deep voice answered. All of the digimon except Agumon gasped in shock. Leomon stood behind V-mon. The little blue digimon turned upward to the massive feline. 

"What does he want with us?" Tailmon demanded. 

"The King has need of your energies," Leomon stated plainly. 

"Our energies?" Patamon was confused. "What use would the King have for our energy?" 

Leomon only laughed. "I am the strongest digimon in the land," he boasted, though all knew it to be true. "And soon, I shall be the strongest digimon of all time." 

***

Taichi groaned with pain as he was tossed on the floor. As expected, he was in even more pain now than before. He was determined to try to make some sort of contact with Daisuke, however. He crawled to the crack in the wall. He pushed his head up to the side of the wall and moved the rock out of the way. 

"Daisuke," he spoke into the wall. His voice was hoarse and sore. He tried to clear his throat, but found it impossible. Incredibly exhausted, the Prince sighed and dropped his head, shutting his eyes and loosing consciousness.

***

Koushiro departed forty-five minutes after his arrival. He would have stayed longer, he explained, but Tentomon would be concerned and he needed to get back. His partner was quite a worrywart.

Hikari awoke shortly after he had left, and the others told her what the wizard had said. 

The Princess was not pleased at the news. "If Father wishes to evolve Leomon to a higher stage, there is no way we will be able to stop him. The question is, why?" 

No one had a response for that. 

"We can't sit around and do nothing!" Miyako protested. "We have to try to stop him." 

"Miyako, we don't know how," Sora reminded her. 

"There's got to be some way!" She groaned and sat down on the window seat. 

"If we could free our digimon," Yamato suggested. 

"Yes, but we can't do that, either," Takeru reminded his brother.

"I think anything we should do should wait until tomorrow," Hikari decided. "It's getting late. We need to sleep." 

***

A young woman in a pale pink dress was riding in a carriage on its way to the palace. Beside her sat Palmon, a small green digimon with a pink flower on her head. 

"I don't like the way this feels at all," Palmon observed. It was dark out, but she and her partner were already three days late for the Princess' birthday, and they were eager to get there as soon as possible. 

"I don't either," Mimi Tachikawa agreed with her partner. "I'm not sure why, but I have this 

feeling that something isn't right."

"I can't understand it," the flower digimon elaborated. "But there's something wrong." 

"Perhaps we should sneak in?" Mimi suggested. Normally, she was not one to suggest such a plan, but she wasn't naïve enough to simply enter the palace when something serious might be going wrong. 

"That might be a good idea." 

Mimi nodded. "Stop the cart!" she ordered, yelling out the side of the carriage. The driver did so immediately, and she exited. It was foggy and humid that night, and she could feel something inexplicably dark and evil in the air. 

A few moments later, after a bit of haggling with the driver, she convinced the servants to head back to the nearest town, about five miles away, and return the following evening with her luggage. She agreed to take a lantern, one small bag of clothes, and a basket of food. Then, still two miles from the palace, the girl and her digimon set off. 

Mimi waited until she was positive the carriage had driven off before she began walking. "I'm not so sure about this," she noted quietly after they had been walking for a few moments. "I really don't like walking long distances." 

Palmon agreed. "But we don't really have a choice, do we?" she asked. 

The girl shook her head. "That's true, we don't. I wish I knew what felt so strange around here." 

"So do I," the digimon agreed. 

Mimi held the lantern high above her head as they walked along the road. Suddenly, she saw something glowing in the forest. "What's that?" 

Palmon squinted into the darkness. "I don't know. Hello? Who's there?" 

Only silence answered her shouts. "Should we check it out?" the girl wondered. 

The plant digimon shrugged in response. "Why not?" she decided. 

Mimi carefully lifted her pink skirts and held the lantern out over her head as she stepped off the path. There did not appear to be any other digimon or people in the area, for which she was quite glad. She had heard that there were wild digimon in the woods near the palace, and she was not sure that she would trust a wild digimon. 

The glowing appeared to come from a stump only a few feet from the edge of the forest. Mimi followed the strange light and noted that on top of the stump sat a thick metal box. The glow was coming from inside the box. 

"What on earth?" she wondered. 

"Open it!" Palmon urged. She could tell that something important was about to happen. 

"Alright," Mimi agreed cautiously. She lifted the cover of the box. Inside were a bunch of strange little boxes. They were all a pale blue color with darker sections on them. One of them was emitting a strange white light. Somehow drawn to it, Mimi grasped the little box in her hand. It glowed even brighter.

"What's happening?" the girl gasped. She felt something strange inside of her. 

"Mimi!" Palmon cried. "I feel funny." 

"Me too," she admitted. The funny little box was making strange high-pitched noises. The light was nearly blinding. 

"I feel - stronger," Palmon shouted over the noise and the light. "Mimi! I think I'm going to evolve!" 

"Evolve?" Mimi repeated with surprise. Before she could utter another word, however, the light grew even brighter. She shielded her eyes with her free hand. 

"Palmon evolve!" she heard her digimon shout. Somehow, through the light, Mimi was able to see her digimon growing larger. A few moments later, the light subsided, and she could see a taller digimon standing there. 

"Togemon!" a deep voice shouted. The light dispersed, and now Mimi saw that her digimon had transformed into a tall, thorny plant with strange red gloves on. The girl's eyes grew wide. 

"Togemon?" Mimi repeated. "I didn't know you could evolve _again_." 

The large digimon shrugged. "I didn't either," she replied. "Hey, I see something from up here." 

"Really? What is it?" 

"A house," she replied. "Only there's a funny digimon standing near it." 

"Let's head that way," Mimi suggested. "We might find out something about what's going on here that feels so strange." 

"What about those?" her newly evolved digimon wondered, pointing towards the metal box and the other strangely shaped little boxes within. 

"I suppose we should bring them with us. But I can't carry that box. It's too heavy." 

Before Togemon could issue a suggestion, the smaller objects inside began to glow. Soon, they were immersed in strange balls of light and were floating in the air. Then, they zoomed off quickly before either of them could remark. 

"Well, that solves that, doesn't it?" Togemon decided. 

Mimi shrugged slightly. "Let's go," she decided, heading off in the direction Togemon had indicated the house was in.

***

Night came soon enough. V-mon tried to sleep, but failed. He was worried about Daisuke, and what Leomon had said to them earlier. He was going to be a really, really powerful digimon. 

_'I wish I could be a really powerful digimon,'_ V-mon thought to himself. _'Everyone loves powerful digimon. And then I'd be able to get out of here.'_

Unfortunately, V-mon didn't know how to become a really powerful digimon. He stared in the direction of the window. The room that he and the other digimon were in was spacious. The walls and floor were polished marble, and the windows were huge, with long, dark green drapes. 

Not that the little blue digimon really cared about the décor. He was just trying to keep himself from being too bored. 

There was a noise from the window. V-mon turned to the digimon nearest him, Tailmon, and whispered to the cat. "Hey, did you hear that?" 

"Hear what?" Tailmon grumbled. She wasn't sleeping, but she wasn't in the mood for V-mon's casual conversation. 

"I thought I heard a noise at the window," he replied. 

Tailmon perked an ear in the direction. "I hear it, too," she replied after listening for a few seconds. "Who do you think it could be?" 

"I hope it's someone to get us out of here," Patamon piped up, obviously still awake as well. "Like that Dark Bandit guy." 

"It _could_ be just the wind." Piyomon replied sensibly, in the midst of a yawn. "Go back to sleep." 

V-mon shook his head. "No, I think there's someone out there," he stated adamantly. 

"I think so, too," Tailmon agreed. There was silence for a few moments, followed by a scratching noise at the window. "Hear that?" 

"It's probably just a branch scraping the window," Piyomon declared. "Get some sleep." She yawned again, eager to get back to her dream. 

"No, I'll bet it's a person," Patamon decided hopefully. 

"I don't care if it's the King himself come to eat us for a midnight snack. _I'd_ like to get some sleep," Hawkmon declared. Conversation ceased then, but Patamon, Tailmon, and V-mon continued to watch the window, hoping that it really was someone out there and not just the wind. 

***

The door to the chamber slammed open forcefully. Miyako gasped in shock and sat up. "What?" 

A row of guards filed in to the chamber, and she felt herself being lifted by two pairs of strong arms. "What's going on?" 

The guards remained silent. In the dark, she could hear the others, demanding to know what was happening and where they were being brought. But she could not see clearly. In the back of her mind, she recalled what Yamato had said earlier when Koushiro had come by. That they would not be kept together much longer. Fear gripped her sharply, and she cried out suddenly. 

She was dragged – she really could not say that she was led, because her feet tried to move, but she was unable to walk – down a long hallway. In the darkness, she couldn't see where she was being taken. She tried for a few moments to struggle, but quickly discovered that it was not only pointless – as she was helpless against two strong guards – but also that she wouldn't know where to go if she were able to get away. 

Miyako could still hear the others. She detected Yamato's voice first, as it was loudest. He was most likely struggling the hardest of them all, and he was certainly making the most noise. Sora shouted a few choice words, but she had been quickly silenced by the same realization as Miyako – that she was helpless. She heard Takeru's voice chiming in with his brother's occasionally. 

Hikari spoke a few words as well, but, as with the others, she was ignored by the guards. The group was led down the hall. Miyako realized only then that she had not heard Ken. 

At that point fear took hold once more. Had he slipped out in the night? If he had, he was surely in great danger. Most likely, the King would be able to discern that he was, by default, the Dark Bandit. A chill ran down her spine as she was dragged further down an endless flight of stairs. 

Eventually, she found herself coming to a halt. There was dim light now, and she was able to make out a door. That same door was then opened, and she was tossed inside rather harshly. With a cry more of surprise than actual pain, she landed face down on a hard floor. Before she could move, the door slammed shut behind her. 

It didn't take Miyako long to realize that Koushiro's prediction had come true. They had been separated and moved to the dungeon. Immediately, she thought of Daisuke as she looked around her cell. He'd had to deal with this for a few days. When she remembered what he had looked like when he had first been released, another shudder went down her spine. She certainly hoped that she wouldn't have to go through such torture. 

_'But I know the same secret Daisuke knows!'_ she realized. If she was asked for the identity of the Dark Bandit, would she be able to lie and say that she didn't know? Miyako wasn't certain. Of course, such a lie would be considered treason, but she hardly thought that mattered at the moment. The thought of going through the pain that Daisuke had obviously experienced – and possibly was experiencing even now – was something that scared her. 

"Hey!" she shouted suddenly, not wanting to sit still now that she had been rudely awakened. "Let me out of here!" There was no response. Not that she'd really expected one. Miyako stood up and made her way to the heavy door. There were a few small bars that covered a smaller window that was just barely large enough to look through. She could see the guards that had brought her there standing down the hall, talking with a larger group of guards. 

"Hey!" she repeated, hoping to catch their attention. "You can't leave me here. I haven't done anything! Hello?! Let me out of here!" 

Naturally, they continued to ignore her. With a frustrated sigh, Miyako decided to give up for the moment and sit down. Perhaps she _would_ be able to sleep a few more hours tonight.

***

I hope I'm not being too predictable. 

What happened to Ken? Is he okay? Will the others get the digivices? (duh, of course they will!) Will the King succeed in his plan? And just what _does_ he want with everyone, anyway? Are you dying of suspense yet? 

Koushiro and Mimi finally get a big part! And in the next section, Jyou will get a big part! That's for all the Jyou, Koushiro, and Mimi lovers. ^_^ Yup. I told ya Mimi got to be important. You just had to wait. ^_^

It's almost over, I promise, so thanks for sticking with me this far. I foresee at least two more chapters. Depends on how I manage to break it up. And, like I said in the last chapter, I'm not sure quite yet on how I'll work the ending, so that and what y'all think will determine if there's a sequel. Personally, I think there should be one, but let's wait till I finish this one, k? ^_^ Thanks for everyone who reviewed, I love you all. ^_^

Oh yeah, and I _don't _own digimon. If I did, it would never have been dubbed.


	10. Part Ten: Evolution, Conversation, and a...

The Dark Bandit

The Dark Bandit

Part Ten

After walking for about fifteen minutes more, Mimi and the newly-evolved Togemon reached the strange little cabin that they had spotted before. As her digimon had stated previously, the girl noted a tall, strange looking creature positioned in front of the house. 

"Is he a wild digimon?" Mimi wondered. She'd never seen such a creature before. He almost appeared to be a stuffed teddy bear, but he was taller than the house, as tall as Togemon, and he looked very angry.

Togemon shrugged. "Certainly appears to be without a partner," she replied. "What should we do?" 

"Somehow, I don't think he's here to welcome us," the girl reasoned. "Maybe I should try to talk to him." 

"He doesn't look like he wants to talk," her partner commented, noting the annoyed expression on the digimon's face. 

"Maybe he guards whoever is in the house. If we explain that we're just passing through and we're not criminals or anything, maybe he'll let us visit," Mimi suggested optimistically. "I'm going to try to talk to him. You stay here. If there's any trouble, you can jump in and help out." The large plant nodded. 

"Right," she agreed. 

Mimi stepped into the clearing surrounding the house. "Hello!" she waved cheerfully. The digimon guarding the house peered down at her with an inhospitable expression. "I was just passing through the area and I got a little lost. I was wondering if you could tell me the way to the palace?" 

The tall bear-like digimon merely growled in response. "Lovely Attack," he shouted. Mimi stared in shock as large translucent blue hearts came in her direction. 

For some reason, she got the impression that she should avoid these hearts. Quickly, she turned in the opposite direction, back towards Togemon, but discovered that the hearts were surrounding her. 

"Prickly Bang Bang!" a deep voice shouted from behind her. Suddenly, sharp, thin objects were flying through the air, and the hearts were popped as though they were simply soap bubbles. Togemon stepped from behind the trees, as the strange sharp objects had come from her. 

"Togemon, take care of this rude digimon!" Mimi declared, being quite a bit annoyed at the bear-like creature's unprovoked attack. In her hand, the small box she was still holding began to emit high pitched noises once more. 

Togemon jumped headlong into the battle, fists flying. A few moments later the giant plant and the giant bear were involved in a boxing match. Mimi would have been quite amused by the scene if she wasn't aware of the seriousness at the same time. 

The battle continued for a few minutes before Togemon was able to shove her opponent backwards. The bear digimon fell down and landed hard on the ground. "Prickly Bang Bang," the plant shouted, shooting out the needles once more. 

"Ahhh!" the bear shouted. It scrambled to its feet and disappeared into the forest. 

"Wait!" Mimi called. The digimon paid no attention to her, however, continuing its mad dash through the woods. She sighed. "I was hoping to figure out what it was doing here," she confided to her digimon. 

A white light surrounded the tall plant, and it shrank back down into Palmon. Mimi stared in surprise. "You _de_-evolved?" she asked. 

Her partner nodded with a shrug. "I didn't have enough energy to stay as Togemon."

"Hmm…" she replied, intrigued. 

"Didn't we want to see what was in that house?" Palmon reminded her partner. 

Before Mimi could reply, the door to the small cabin opened and a short little old man stepped out. "Greetings," he commented. "So glad you could make it. My security team was getting a bit out of hand." 

***

Daisuke heard a noise in the hall late that night. He was so exhausted, at first he wasn't going to even bother to see what it was, but then he heard yelling. Several different voices were shouting in protest. Probably to being taken to the dungeon. 

Intrigued enough by the fact that a few of the voices were female, he stood up and made his way to the door. He had just reached it and was about to peer through the small window when the door opened and the guards tossed one of those figures at him. With a grunt, Daisuke and his new cellmate fell backwards in a heap. 

The door closed a moment later before Daisuke could even react. He groaned in pain, wincing slightly when his sore, bruised back hit the stone floor. 

"Daisuke!" the voice of whoever was with him shouted, and he recognized the voice. 

"Hikari!" he realized then, scrambling to his feet at the same time she did. "What are you doing here?" 

The Princess avoided his eyes sheepishly for a moment before she replied. "I'm not sure," she answered. "The guards burst into the room in the middle of the night. I think everyone else was taken, too. I heard them shouting. I couldn't see much in the dark, though." 

"_Everyone_?" he repeated, shocked. "But – why?" 

"Koushiro thinks that Father wants to use _our_ digimon to evolve _his_ digimon to a higher state. And that he'll need _us_ at a weakened state to do that," she explained. Quickly, she went over what the young wizard had said before. 

"I won't let him hurt V-mon," Daisuke declared. Then his face fell. "I don't think I'll be able to stop him, though," he realized. 

Hikari sighed. "There's got to be something we can do," she told him with some optimism.

***

The two brothers found themselves tossed in a heap on a dusty floor. Yamato found that his fall was cushioned by his brother, but Takeru was not so lucky. Before either could recover, the door slammed shut once more. Immediately, the elder boy jumped to his feet and ran towards the entryway, but it had already been locked before he had even gotten up. 

Takeru watched with a slight rolling of his eyes as his brother proceeded to yell a string of profanities in the direction of the guards. When that elicited no response from them, Yamato resorted to kicking the door in frustration. Then he sat down beside his brother, carefully staying off his foot. 

"You done?" the younger brother questioned. 

Yamato glared at his brother and examined his barefoot toe for serious injuries. "I knew this was coming," he admitted after a moment. "But that doesn't mean I'm not mad about it." 

Takeru was eerily calm. "So I saw." 

"This isn't right," he grumbled. "Not right at all. We need to be together." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Our best chance of defeating the King – or whatever controls him – and saving our digimon is to combine our forces. We _can't_ do that if we've been split up." 

"Well, that _would_ explain why he separated us." 

Yamato looked up from his uninjured foot. "I don't like it," he stated. "What if the King decides to regress our digimon back to their baby forms? What if they can't evolve back? What if _their_ lack of energy makes _us_ weak?" 

Takeru shrugged. 

"How can you be so _calm?!_" 

The younger brother shrugged once more. "I don't know. I guess I just know everything will turn out all right." 

"How do you know that?" 

"I don't, really," Takeru admitted. "I just know that if I think positive, positive things might happen." 

Yamato sighed and laid down on the hard floor. "I have a feeling we'll need a lot more than positive thinking to get us out of this situation." 

***

Mimi sipped her tea from the old man's tea cup and smiled courteously. The situation was strange, the reason for their meeting was strange, and yet they were sitting there drinking tea as though everything was just fine.

"Do you need more sugar? Or cream?" the old man asked. Mimi politely shook her head. 

"No, thank you, this is fine." 

The old man nodded. "I suppose I should get down to business then," he decided. "I am Gennai. I suppose you could say that I am a bit of a mystic." 

"Why did you have that strange digimon guarding your house?" Palmon interrupted before Mimi could ask just what he meant by that statement. 

"Oh, Monzaemon?" Gennai questioned. "He was placed there by the King of this land about twenty years ago, I think. He was nice at one point, but he really had developed a bit of a temper over the years. Maybe not enough sleep or something." The old man shrugged slightly as he sat down at the table.

"He was supposed to guard your house?" Mimi asked. 

"Yes, basically. The King wanted to make sure that no one came to see me and I saw no one. He really should have picked someone a bit friendlier. It gets boring being alone in the forest for twenty years and having no one to speak to." 

"Don't you have a digimon partner?" Palmon wondered. The old man shook his head. 

"I'm afraid I never found the right one for me," he replied, not really answering the question. "But we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about digimon and their evolutions." 

"That's right, we are," Mimi agreed. "Why was Palmon able to evolve again? I thought only the King's digimon could evolve higher than this stage. And why didn't she stay as Togemon?" 

"Palmon was able to evolve because of that little device in your hand," Gennai answered as he sipped his tea. "It's an ancient item known as a Digivice. It helps to increase the bond between digimon and partner, and it gives the digimon greater strength." 

"How does it do that?" 

"I'm not entirely sure," the old man replied. "I think that the digimon uses some of its partner's energy. But I could be wrong. Digivices haven't been seen in a very long time." 

"What happened to the other digivices?" Mimi wondered. 

"Other digivices?" Mimi quickly explained about the box they had found and how the digivices had floated off after Palmon had evolved. "Ah, yes," he recalled. "The other digivices went to their true owners." 

"True owners?" Palmon repeated. 

Gennai stood up and walked over to his stove, where a small teapot was still brewing. "Yes, it's a very old legend that surrounds the digivices. Many years ago a group of young people was called to defend the world from something. It's never clear in the legends _what_ they fought, but through using the digivices they were able to defeat that threat. If the digivices have returned, then the people they have been sent to are the ones who must fight this new threat." 

"A new threat?" Mimi gasped. 

The old man poured himself some more tea and then replaced the teapot. "There is really no reason for the digivices to be available except for the partners to help the digimon evolve to higher levels. The world has been at peace for many years. Now if they have reappeared, it is necessary for the digimon to evolve further." 

"So we'll have to fight?" Mimi frowned. 

Gennai nodded solemnly. "Indeed. You'll have to fight many threats."

Mimi frowned even deeper. "I'm not sure I want to fight," she admitted. 

"You won't have to do it alone, Mimi," Palmon reminded her. "I'll be by your side. And so will the others who received the digivices." 

"That's right," Mimi cheered slightly. "Gennai, where have the other digivices gone to?" 

"Their rightful owners," he repeated. "I don't know who they are." He held out his hand. "May I?" 

The girl handed over the little blue box with a nod. The old man examined it for a moment. "The other digivices have not yet been delivered to their proper owners," he reported. "When they have been, you'll be able to track them using this device." 

"Track them how?" 

***

Sora groaned as she was tossed into the dark, dusty cell. She heard the door slam behind her, and then she heard Yamato's voice call out a few choice words to the guards. She heard Miyako scream in protest as well. Wisely, however, Sora remained silent. She knew that screaming her frustration would not solve the problem. No, she decided, it was much better to sit down and think of a solution. 

"Huh?" 

A voice from somewhere in the cell startled her. Someone else was there with her. Nervously, Sora backed into the cell door, eyes scanning the darkness in search of – something – she knew not what. "Who – Who's there?" she managed to stammer out, trying but failing to sound brave. 

In the dim light from the window in the door behind her, Sora was able to make out a dark figure slowly taking shape. "Sora?" the voice questioned. It was hoarse – sounding, but familiar in some way.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded, still on guard. It could be a trick. It could be her tired mind playing tricks on her, it could be…

"Taichi!" she gasped, once the figure had come into view. "Oh my!" 

Without wasting another second on words, Sora scrambled to the injured boy. "Are you alright? What happened?" he managed to blurt out. 

"Don't talk," she urged. "You're too weak." Carefully, she helped him to lie down again. In the corner of the cell was a bucket of water that was their only source of nourishment for the moment. Within seconds, she had retrieved it and helped him to sip a bit of the water, the same way his sister had done for him the day before.

"Hikari?" he questioned after he had drunk a few sips. 

"She's alright, Taichi. Don't worry." 

He nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "And everyone else?" 

"They're all here," she reported. "We were dragged from our room in the middle of the night. As far as I know, everyone is here – in the dungeon." 

The Prince sighed and shook his head slightly. "None of us deserve this." 

"No," Sora agreed. "We don't. But Koushiro has a theory as to – as to your father's motivations." 

"Motivations?" he repeated blankly. 

"At least for separating us from our digimon," she clarified. Quickly, she told him of the young wizard's theories for further evolutions. 

Taichi sighed, but before he could comment in response, both were aware of a strange commotion coming from the corridor. "What is that?" 

"I'll look," Sora volunteered. She stood and walked to the door, peering out the peephole. Before she could comment, two strange spheres of light flew into the cell. 

***

Koushiro squinted in the dim candlelight at the words in the large book he was now studying. After his conversation with the others that afternoon, the young wizard had decided to search for further legends regarding the evolution of digimon. Perhaps, he theorized, there was some truth to them. 

It was very late at night, and he really should have been sleeping, but he was so involved in his studying that he knew he would not be able to rest for several hours. Even now, he was running on adrenaline that was so strong he barely noticed his tiredness. 

The redhead was so involved his studies that he did not notice the door to his small lab open and shut behind him. Footsteps sounded softly behind him, and he was nearly startled right out of his chair when a voice behind him spoke. 

"Don't you ever sleep, Koushiro?" 

After taking a moment to calm his thudding heart, the wizard turned to the one who had spoken. "You're not sleeping either, Jyou," he reminded his friend. 

"Only because I was attending to Lady Motomiya," he replied. "You, on the other hand, have no reason to be awake this late." 

"Of course I do," Koushiro replied somewhat shortly, turning back to his book. "I need to find information on an old legend about evolving digimon." 

"I suppose that it's so important it can't wait until morning, right?" the young doctor retorted. 

"Actually, it can't," he answered. "It's very important that I find this legend. People's _lives _could be at stake." 

"Koushiro, you're being dramatic." Jyou stepped away from his friend and glanced at a pile of books on a table nearby. Noting the title of one of them, he lifted it and began to skim the pages. 

"I'm not being dramatic," Koushiro denied. He looked up from the book for a moment. "If I don't figure out exactly what happened when the children in that legend were able to evolve their digimon further, the King may be able to de-evolve the others' digimon in order to evolve his own." 

Tentomon sat behind the pile of books Jyou had been observing. He was reading a book of his own. "Don't mind him, Jyou, he tends to get wrapped up in his work," the bug-type advised. 

The dark-haired doctor shrugged. "I know," he assured the digimon. "Unfortunately it may effect his health." 

The door behind him opened once more, and a small white digimon entered. "Oh, there you are Jyou," Gomamon greeted. "I've been looking all over for you."

Jyou lifted his digimon from the ground so he could better hold a conversation. "What for?" 

Gomamon shrugged. "No reason. I just wanted to know where you were. I think something important is going to happen." 

Koushiro whirled around in his chair. "What do you mean by that, Gomamon?" he demanded. 

The little white digimon blinked nervously. "_I_ don't know," he replied defensively. "I just feel like something's going to happen." 

"I feel it too, Koushiro," Tentomon confessed. "I'm not sure what it is, either." 

Jyou was about to reply to this when suddenly, two small white spheres floated into the room. 

***

The tall, thick skinned guards that held his arms would simply not loosen their grip, no matter how hard he struggled. He was tired, but he was not giving in easily. His feet stumbled as he was dragged behind the others, many of who were kicking and screaming in protest much stronger than his own. 

With a grunt, Ken suddenly fell to the ground, his knees groaning in protest as he hit the harsh stone floor of the stairs leading to the dungeon. In the shock, both of the guards assigned to him released their hold, leaving the dark-haired boy to tumble down the stairs and land in a bruised heap at the bottom. 

By the time he was able to recover enough to sit up, the rest of the guards and their captives were long gone. Before Ken could make another move, his guards had reached him, and gripped his arms tightly, pulling him onward once more. 

They finally reached the dungeon corridor to find that the others had already been thrown into their cells. The other guards were standing around, talking casually. When the last prisoner was hauled into the area, one of them, obviously the leader of the guards because he was larger, pointed to a door directly to the left. One of the other guards stepped forward with the keys and opened the heavy metal door. They stepped aside and watched with some amusement as Ken's two escorts tossed him unceremonially into the room. 

Groaning from the harsh collision with the floor after his fall down the stairs, the dark-haired boy simply lay still and rested for a few moments. The door slammed loudly behind him, and he heard a gasp from inside the room. 

"Are you alright?" he heard the voice question, and through the fog in his mind he was able to identify it as Miyako's. 

He blinked his eyes a few times and managed to lift himself up off the ground. "I think so," he mumbled softly. He examined himself as best as possible in the dim light. His knees were sore from the fall, but the skin had not broken. His elbows, on the other hand, were skinned, and a few drips of blood were coming from each joint. 

"What happened?" she questioned upon seeing the blood. 

"Fell down the stairs," he replied casually, touching the sensitive areas lightly. 

She gasped. "Those steep stone stairs we came down on the way here?" 

He nodded, still paying attention to his bruising. "Those are the only stairs I noticed." 

"I'm surprised you're in once piece," she commented. 

"Nothing serious." He pulled up the leg of his pants enough so that he could see his knees. They were injured, and it was obvious that a nasty bruise would appear on each of them within a few hours, but they were still usable. 

Miyako frowned slightly. "I was worried," she confessed. 

Ken paused momentarily in his examinations to look at her. "About what?" 

"You," she admitted. Her voice lowered to a softer level. "When we were dragged out of the room, I didn't hear you, and I was worried you had slipped out." 

He shrugged, turning away and pretending to study his hands. "I figured screaming wouldn't really do much good," he replied. 

Miyako was about to agree when two bright spheres floated through the barred window on the door. "What?" she questioned blankly instead. One of the bright spheres floated in front of her, and, cautiously she reached out and grabbed it. 

"Wait," Ken spoke up, but she had already taken it. "We don't know what they are," he reminded her belatedly. 

Miyako peered at the strange object in her hand. "They're important," she replied. "And this one's mine." Cautiously, the boy looked at the sphere in front of him. "That one's yours." 

"Mine?" he repeated. "How can you be sure?" 

"It must be," she reasoned. "It's floating right in front of you." 

With ever present caution, he gripped the device in his hand. 

***

Mimi finished sipping her drink. Gennai was about to offer her some more tea, when suddenly the strange device sitting next to her began to make a few noises. Alerted, the young girl lifted the small blue box and stared at it. In the center, she could see eleven blinking dots all clustered at the top. 

"What on earth?" she gasped. 

Gennai peered over her shoulder at the digivice. "Ah, yes," he noted with smile and a nod. "The others have received their digivices as well." 

"How do you know that?" Palmon wondered, also peering at the device.

The old man pointed to the dots on the screen. "Each of those dots represents a digivice. Have you ever seen a compass?" 

"Those funny looking things sailors use so they don't get lost?" Mimi wondered. 

"That's it," he nodded. "Those little dots represent the other digivices. You can use yours to track them. The top of the digivice is straight ahead. When you get closer to the others, the dots will move down closer the center." 

"Like a compass always points to the north," Mimi nodded in understanding. 

"Exactly." 

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find them, Palmon!" 

***

Hikari stared at the funny looking device in her hand. She wasn't sure what it was, but she suspected it was very important. As she turned it over and examined it, the Princess got the feeling that this little blue box would help to save her kingdom and perhaps her life. 

Daisuke reacted to his with different feelings. Where as the Princess felt it would change everything for the better, he got a strange sense of doom from the little box. Not that it was evil, but that something bad would occur as a result of it. 

Both of them agreed on one thing, though, and that was that the devices would change everything, and that they were destined to receive them. 

***

Iori awoke in the middle of the night to find his digimon awake and sitting on his bed. "Armadimon?" he questioned, blinking his eyes.

"I don't know what it is, Iori, but that thing is weird." 

He sat up in bed and immediately saw what Armadimon was worrying about. A strange little white glowing sphere was hovering right above his head. "What is that?"   
"I don't know," Armadimon repeated. 

"Do you think I should – take it?" 

"It's probably not floating in front of _you_ if it belongs to someone else," the golden-colored digimon replied sensibly. 

Cautiously, the boy headed his digimon's advice, reaching out his right hand and grasping the glowing sphere. The glow around it died, and he was able to see that it was actually a strange little pale blue box. There were darker sections on it, and there were also some strange blinking dots in the middle. Ten of the dots were clustered around the center of the box, but one dot was near the bottom. 

"What do you think it is?" Armadimon wondered. 

Iori could only stare. "I have no idea," he answered. 

***

Jyou could only stare blankly at the strange little box in his hand. "What – is this thing?" he wondered. Normally, the cautious physician would have avoided a floating, glowing sphere, but something inside him had prompted him to grasp the strange object in his hand, and it had immediately stopped glowing. Now, it was a strange little blue box. 

"It's a digivice!" Koushiro shouted. The young wizard was nearly beside himself as he began flipping through the pages of the book still sitting in front of him. 

"A what?" Tentomon asked, buzzing over to peer over his partner's shoulder at the book. 

"A digivice," he repeated. A few moments later, Koushiro arrived at a page. There, a strange looking blue box precisely like the one he held in his hand was drawn rather crudely on the page. 

"What is it supposed to be?" Gomamon wondered. 

"It's something that the Chosen used in ancient times to help their digimon evolve to higher stages!" the wizard replied, still so excited he could barely keep still. "They were rumored to be only myths, but if we have them, that proves that they're real!" 

Jyou blinked. "Does that mean that we were Chosen, too?" 

"Probably." 

"So, Koushiro, what do these things _do_?" Tentomon questioned, getting right to the point. 

"Well, as far as I can tell," Koushiro began, but was interrupted by the sound of running feet in the hall. 

"Koushiro!" a voice shouted, and a few moments later a boy skidded into the doorway. He was still dressed in a loose sleeping garment, and he slid, barefoot, on the floor. Armadimon scrambled behind him. 

"Iori, you too?" Jyou gasped, noting the strange blue box that was in the boy's hand as well. 

"You have one, too?" Iori questioned. He held out the strange blue device. "It came to me while I was sleeping." 

"They're digivices, Iori," Koushiro replied. "As far as I can tell they're used to evolve digimon to higher levels. If you have one, that means you've been chosen as well." The wizard appeared thoughtful for a moment. 

"But Koushiro," Iori interrupted. "What about these funny dots?" He held out his digivice. The eleven dots were still there, but now two of them were in the direct center of the device. 

"They moved!" Armadimon realized when he saw the dots. "Before, all the dots were over there, except that one that's farther away. Now those two are in the middle." 

"They did," his partner agreed, staring at the strange dots with a stunned expression. 

"Then the digivices must also be used for tracking other digivices," Koushiro realized. He returned to his book, flipping through the pages once more. 

"Tracking other digivices?" Jyou repeated. 

"Maybe each of the dots is another digivice," Gomamon theorized from where he was, flopped over Jyou's shoulders. 

"That _would_ explain why two of the dots got closer when we came here," Armadimon agreed.

"What I don't get is how it works," Iori confessed. 

"I don't either," Koushiro admitted. "But I suppose as long as it does work and we know how to use it, it will have to do." 

***

Sora stared at the device in her hand. "Could this be one of those things Koushiro was talking about?" she wondered aloud. 

"What do you mean?" Taichi wondered. 

"Well, when Koushiro was talking about evolving digimon, he said that a long time ago, a group of people were supposedly able to evolve their digimon further than adult stage by using strange devices with symbols on them." 

"These have symbols on them," her friend noted. 

She nodded. "Then it could be that these are them. But there's no way to test it. We don't have our digimon." 

***

Mimi's feet pounded along the ground as she ran, Palmon rushing to keep up with her. Normally, neither of them liked to run, but she was so excited about receiving a digivice and finding the others that possessed them that she had begun running, and even now did not stop. 

Palmon panted behind her. She carried the basket of food in her arms, struggling not to trip and spill its contents on the ground. "Mimi! Wait!" she panted, and finally stopped, too tired to continue any longer. 

Mimi reluctantly paused and waited for her digimon. Over her shoulder she carried the bag of clothes she'd been persuaded to take, and in her free hand, the lantern. In the other hand was the little blue box known as a digivice.

"Are you all right?" she questioned. 

The plant digimon could only wheeze a few times in response before collapsing on the ground. "Do – you – think – we – could – slow – down?" she managed to ask. 

"I'm sorry Palmon," Mimi apologized. "I guess we could walk instead of run."

"Thanks," Palmon gasped. 

A few moments later, after pausing to catch their breath, the two started out at a much more subdued pace. It was still very dark out, and Mimi was beginning to tire, but she kept going. 

"Hey Palmon, you know what I've noticed?" 

"What?" 

"We're heading in the direction of the castle," Mimi reported. "I wonder if that has anything to do with that weird feeling we had before." 

"About something being wrong?" her partner questioned. "Maybe." 

"I'll bet Princess Hikari received one of the digivices," she theorized. "But who could have the other ten?" 

"Maybe Taichi?" Palmon suggested. 

"Maybe," Mimi agreed. "But that's only three. The digivice shows that there are at least twelve of us, including me." 

"Maybe the others are some of the guests Hikari's having?" 

"Possible. I could see her having at least nine guests," the girl agreed. "After all, it _is_ her sixteenth birthday." 

***

That morning, four days after Princess Hikari's sixteenth birthday, the sun rose over the kingdom of Yagami. 

Inside the castle, Koushiro had fallen asleep over his research, still gripping his digivice in his hand. Tentomon was curled up on a nearby table, dozing amongst piles of books. 

Jyou was safe in his bed, a light blue nightcap falling over his face as he slept. Gomamon snored beside him, and the digivice sat on the nightstand beside his bed, still blinking slightly. 

Iori slept in the small room he considered his quarters. Armadimon rested on the floor beside him. Concerned about loosing his newest possession, the boy had stuffed the device under his pillow where no one would find it. 

In the dungeon, the prisoners slept with less comfort. Yamato and Takeru had managed to make themselves semi comfortable on the floor of their cell, their digivices still grasped protectively in their hands. 

Daisuke had fallen asleep with Hikari's lap as a pillow. He had been tired, and hurt, and she had offered. He had protested, but had been persuaded. The Princess slept sitting up, her somewhat regal gown now dusty, dirty, and torn from the trauma of the last few days, but her spirit so far unbroken. Her digivice lay on the ground beside her, but Daisuke clutched his protectively in his hand. 

Taichi was in a worse state than his friend. Unaccustomed to harsh torture, and having displeased his father more than he could ever guess, the boy tossed and turned, in some physical discomfort even as he slept. Sora had stayed awake for a while, trying to tend to her friend, but eventually she had passed out on the floor beside him as well. She had put her digivice in her pockets under the folds of her skirt. The Prince had tried to hold on to his, but had lost it in his disturbed sleep. It now lay on the ground beside him. 

Miyako had struggled to get comfortable on the stone floor for a good hour. Her cellmate, somewhat used to less than luxurious sleeping conditions, offered generously that she use him as a pillow. So eventually, after a lengthy debate on the subject which never really focused on the issue at hand, he slept on his back, and she contented herself with using his stomach as a headrest. She was pleased because she was a bit more comfortable, and he was pleased because he no longer was kept awake by the constant tossing and turning. Both of them had put their digivices in their pockets where they believed they would be kept safest. 

Outside, a young girl and her plant-like digimon made their way towards the castle in the early morning hours. Though tired from the long walk, both had been kept awake by the tea at Gennai's cottage, a few snacks along the way, and the knowledge that neither wanted to sleep in the dark forest. 

"What do we do now, Mimi?" Palmon questioned. 

"We can't go through the front door," Mimi decided. The two guards standing at the front entrance would most likely have permitted them to enter, but Mimi was still concerned about the strange feeling she was having, and did not wish to engage them in a conversation. 

"So what do we do?" 

That, in itself, had not occurred to the girl when she had decided to walk to the castle. Security was light in the early morning simply because getting over the walls of the palace was nearly impossible. Mimi didn't relish the thought of climbing over the tall stone walls. 

Suddenly, in staring back and forth between the walls and her digimon's thoughtful expression, an idea occurred to Mimi Tachikawa.

***

Three cheers for all of you who have read this far!!! Yea! 

It's almost over – probably about two or three parts left in this, depending on how I break it up. Yes, I am fairly certain of how it ends. No, I'm not telling you. ~_^

Well, I told you Mimi had a big part, didn't I? Yes, and she meets the elusive Gennai. Naturally, he has to show up to explain everything. Seriously though, did he ever serve any _other_ purpose? 

In the next part, Mimi meets up with everyone else, we finally discover why the King wants _them _(in more details), and what his plans actually are. Expect to see more angst-filled, sappy scenes ahead. The end? Coming soon! 

Thanks, everyone who has read this far! And thanks again to all the great reviewers! Three cheers again! Yea! 

If anyone wants to receive an email about when I update this next (since Author Alert is now gone) or when I next put up a story, just send me an email at [Turquoisecow@excite.com][1], and let me know. Yes, this is cheating the system, but I'm not the only one, which tells you that the system sucks. ^_^

Oh yes, and I _don't _own Digimon! Never have, never will. Sue me? All you're getting is my stuffed cow. Moo. 

   [1]: mailto:Turquoisecow@excite.com



	11. Part Eleven: Gathering Allies and Prepar...

Iori awoke shortly after the rising of the sun and went about his errands

The Dark Bandit

Part Eleven

Iori awoke shortly after the rising of the sun and went about his errands. Although, as he had stated earlier, he was officially an advisor to the King, many of the young man's duties included running simple errands back and forth between different people. His work often required that he be up early, and though he had no specific errands to do at that moment, he awakened out of habit despite the interruption in the previous night's slumber. 

After a quick breakfast in the kitchen, the boy went to see what he was needed for. Armadimon, always by his side, followed behind him in case there might be things for him to carry. Wisely, they had kept silent to the servants and anyone else they might meet about the digivice they had received the night before. Although he had secretly believed the King was wrong about his decision to imprison his own son as well as what Koushiro believed he had planned for the digimon, it was clear that with a digivice he was not merely a supporter but an ally. 

And so it was with some nervousness that he went about the castle. The servants were sleeping late because most of the people they would need to attend to were in the dungeon, and so it was still rather quiet. The King and Queen were usually not awake this early, and so the only people about were those who enjoyed the morning, such as himself. 

Therefore, the boy was quite startled to hear a whispering noise come from behind a pile of barrels. He had been walking past them on his way out of the kitchen, and suddenly stopped when he heard a voice. 

_"Pssst_," the voice called. "_Hey!"_

Iori paused in his travels and turned around. "Who's there?" he questioned quietly. Armadimon looked at him questioningly. "I thought I heard something," he explained. 

"_Do you have a digivice?"_ the voice hissed from wherever it was coming from. 

"I heard _that_," Armadimon gasped. 

Cautiously, Iori looked around. There was no one in the courtyard. "Who wants to know?" 

There was a rustling sound in the pile of barrels and boxes. A female face appeared from behind one of the barrels. "I do," the girl replied. She was dressed in a pink dress that had once been very beautiful, but was now somewhat torn, dirtied, and tattered. 

"Who are you?" Iori questioned. 

"Mimi Tachikawa," the girl explained. She held up a little blue box. "Do you have one of these?" 

Iori nodded. "I do," he replied with a frown. He glanced around to be certain no one was watching. No one was.

"Who else?" 

"I'm not sure," he confessed. He hadn't really thought about who _else_ possessed one. "Koushiro and Jyou," he recalled. 

"Take me to them," the girl ordered. He nodded and turned to walk out, the girl and her digimon following. 

There was no need to hide Mimi and Palmon, as there was no one to hide them _from_. The castle was still asleep. Iori led her to the half-underground lab where he assumed Koushiro would still be hard at work. 

He tapped loudly on the outside door. "Koushiro, sir," he called. "There's a visitor to see you." 

There were a few noises from within the chamber, and after a few moments, the door opened to reveal the slightly disheveled wizard. "Visitor?" he repeated blankly, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He noted the girl. "Mimi!" he gasped. 

Mimi smiled, blushing slightly. "Sorry I'm late, Koushiro," she greeted. "Palmon and I got held up a bit." 

"She has a digivice, too," Iori explained. Mimi held up the object as proof of what he'd said. The red-headed wizard responded by glancing around the hall and then quickly ushering them inside. 

"Where did you get yours?" 

"I found it in a box in the forest," Mimi explained with a slight shrug and a smile. "There were a whole bunch of others in there, but they all flew out after I took mine." 

Koushiro brushed a few books and papers from a bench. "Sorry about the mess," he apologized half-heartedly. "Up late, researching. All that. Tell me about what happened." He gestured to the now-clear bench and then perched upon his stool, eager to listen. 

"There's not much to tell," Palmon spoke up then. "We were on our way to the party and decided to walk the last mile." 

"Don't worry about the party," Tentomon buzzed, appearing from behind some books. "It was postponed four days ago." 

Mimi seemed somewhat unsurprised. "I figured something was going on around here. Fill me in?" 

Koushiro and Tentomon quickly told Mimi and Palmon all about what had happened over the last few days – the mysterious bandit trying to save Miyako's life, the other mysterious guy trying to kill her and turning out to be Leomon, their theory about the King and evolution. Iori went to find Jyou so he could hear. By the time the little wizard had finished, they had returned. 

***

Miyako peered watchfully through the small peephole in the cell door. It was early morning, she knew that much, but she was not sure how early it actually was. "There's three of them," she reported to her cellmate, who frowned in response. 

"Tell me more," he prompted. His voice held a no-nonsense tone, and Miyako didn't blame him. The situation was most definitely serious, and they couldn't afford to make mistakes.

"I can't see much," she reminded him. "The three I can see are right outside the door. There's another door that I guess leads back into the castle. One guard is pretty large and kind of fat. He's got a short beard and beady little eyes. He looks scared.

"There's a skinnier guy next to him, and he looks angry, but tough. On the other side there's another guy. He's as big as the first fat guy, but he looks tired instead of scared." 

Ken frowned. "Too many," he mumbled. "Unless they _all_ fall asleep we don't have a chance." 

"I don't think that'll happen," Miyako noted. She turned away from the window and sat on the floor, leaning against the door. She watched her cellmate think, deep in thought. 

Though she had met Ken only a week ago, Miyako already felt as though she had been let into his psyche more than most others. Upon first meeting, he'd looked like he was a bit of a snob, but upon hearing more about his story from Jun, she'd learned that was not the case. 

He was actually pretty sensitive, Miyako had decided. She could see that much from how he interacted with Daisuke – the small interactions she'd been privileged to observe. Most of his more intense emotions were displayed when he was taking the form of the Dark Bandit. 

"Ken?" 

"Hmm?" He was still deep in thought, staring silently at the wall. 

"What happened to your brother?" There was silence. Miyako wondered if she had gone to far. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." 

"He was killed," he replied shortly. 

"Yes, I knew that much," she answered in a quiet voice. It dawned on her then that she wasn't quite certain of what she _did_ want to know. 

"The kingdom was at war with a neighboring land," Ken explained, still not facing her. "My brother was asked to fight. He had been training with some of the King's best soldiers." Miyako noted his fists clench slightly as he spoke. "They said he was a brilliant fighter. Like nothing they had ever seen before. Even though he was still young, he went off to war with much older men." 

"He died in the war?" 

A nod. "He had a few good battles before he died," he explained, his voice wavering slightly. "The soldiers said that he had some sort of – magic about him. Like it was in his blood to fight or something." He shrugged. "I guess it wasn't enough magic." 

Miyako didn't speak. She didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry," she managed to state after a few moments of silence. 

***

The King was an imposing figure. He stood in his room, peering over a table with numerous charts, diagrams, and maps. "Miyako's obvious," he mumbled under his breath. "And my children, of course. But _who_ are the others?"

There was a knock on the door. "Enter," the King commanded. 

The Queen entered. "I was just wondering what you wanted served for breakfast," she told him. 

He glanced toward his wife. "Something triumphant," he replied. 

"Bacon?" 

A shrug. "That will do." 

"Will you _eat_ breakfast?" 

"If I make some progress with this darn thing!" he declared, banging his fist on the table in frustration. 

His wife smiled slightly and shrugged. "You'll make sense of it eventually." 

"It's just not coming to me," he sighed. "'Defying Courage' must be Taichi, of course. 'Standing by Light' is Hikari."

"'Love of Reason?'" the Queen questioned, pointing to another entry.

"Sora, I've determined." 

"'Truth of Friendship'?"

"Yamato Ishida." 

"Are you certain?" the Queen asked. Her husband nodded. "'Hope in Difficulty' his brother?"

"Takeru," the King nodded. "The next three I'm stumped on." 

"'Faith of Self', 'Knowledge of All,' and 'Purity of Thought?'" she read. 

"Exactly. What young people could those be?" the King slammed his fist on the table once more. 

"Easy, my dear. That's already your third table. It is possible that those three are not of this area." 

"They have to be! Otherwise they would be of no use to me, and they would not be in this prophecy! According to it, those with these inner strength are all in a similar area!" He was nearly shouting now.

The Queen was silent for a moment. "And the last few?" she finally ventured to ask.

"Those last four are supposed to be younger. 'Hope in Difficulty' – Takeru, and 'Standing by with Light' – Hikari are both listed with the last six as well as the first eight. The first two were simple," the King replied. "'Courageous Friend of Enemy' is Daisuke." 

The Queen nodded. "Yes, and 'Pure Love of Enemy?" 

"Miyako. My enemies created her. She fits that description the best." 

"You have many enemies, dear. Why her?" 

The King frowned. "Inoue and his wife had her _after_ they faced my punishment," he replied, eyes narrowing with anger. 

"I'm not sure I understand the 'pure' part," his wife stated. "And who could be the last one?" 

"'Faithful self Knowledge helps'?" her husband read. "No, I don't either. There's much I don't understand. Prophecies are always written in circles." 

***

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Jyou mumbled under his breath. 

"Oh Jyou, lighten up," Gomamon whispered in reply. "Don't you have faith in Koushiro?" 

"Oh yes. Tons. The last time I saw him try this spell he nearly blew us both up. But that's fine, right?" The doctor's voice dripped with sarcasm. 

"_Quiet!!"_ Koushiro hissed from somewhere in front of them. _"I need to concentrate!"_

"Sorry," Jyou and Gomamon whispered. 

The young wizard was indeed concentrating quite a bit. Jyou could see a small ball of light forming between his hands. 

A soft buzzing noise filled the air, as Tentomon returned. "Koushiro, I _could_ just knock them out, you know." A few bolts of electricity flickered between his wings. 

Koushiro shook his head. Small droplets of sweat were beginning to appear. "I've – got it," he gasped. The floating ball of light was larger now. He looked up at his digimon, a bit more composed now. "What's the situation?" 

"I can't tell if they're all in that hallway," Tentomon replied. "Can't see into the cells. But they probably are. It's the most heavily guarded. Two outside and three inside. At least." 

"That's probably them, then," Gomamon decided. 

"Are you ready, Koushiro?" Jyou asked. 

The young wizard nodded. "I need a diversion," he stated. 

"Koushiro, why _don't _you let me just –," Tentomon offered. 

He shook his head. "I don't need them getting hurt too badly," he replied. He turned to Jyou and Gomamon. "Diversion, please?"

***

There was a noise from down the hall. The tall guard shrugged. The shorter, fatter one looked to his more experienced partner. "Should we check it out?" 

The taller one scratched his nose and yawned. "Nah. S'probably just some bugs or something."

"HEY!"

The two guards looked down the hall. They saw nothing. 

"Did you – ?" the short one began. 

"Not a thing." 

There was silence. 

"HEY! DUMMIES!"

"_Sh!" _came a whispered hiss. 

"Who's there?" barked the taller one. He stepped away from the door. 

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" the voice replied. 

"Why, I oughta…," he grumbled. 

"It's probably just some crazy Bakemon," the shorter guard noted.

"Well I'm gonna pound them until they're ghosts of ghosts!" he shouted. Before the other could reply, the taller one dashed down the hall in the direction of the voice. 

"_Should I?"_

_"I suppose. There's not much more choice. Go ahead."_

The pudgy guard barely had time to notice the voices before one of them shouted. 

_"Petit Thunder!" _

"Are you _sure_ he'll be all right?" Koushiro questioned. 

Tentomon shrugged. "I think so," he replied. "I'm not quite _that_ strong." 

Koushiro nodded. "I guess we'd better get that door, then." His hands were still framing the floating ball of light. He shut his eyes and concentrated for a few moments, then raised the ball over his head and heaved it at the door. 

A few moments later the door was no more, and the three guards were unconscious. 

"Koushiro!" Miyako's voice called from the first cell. "What are you doing here?" 

"Rescuing you, of course," he replied. "Are you all right? Is everyone else here?" 

"I think so," she answered. 

He nodded. "Stand back." 

"Um…Koushiro?" Tentomon spoke up. 

"Not now, I'm concentrating." Koushiro formed the ball of light in his hands once more. 

"But, Koushiro…" 

"Not now, Tentomon." The ball grew larger and the young wizard lobbed it at the door, which easily gave way under the force. Miyako and Ken stepped out. 

"Koushiro, you could have used the keys."

Koushiro glanced toward the fallen guards that Tentomon pointed at. "Oh." 

"It's all right, Koushiro," Miyako assured him as Ken removed the keys from the nearest guard and began to open the other cells. Yamato and Takeru were surprised but relieved to find the door opening. 

A few moments later, everyone was out. Taichi appeared to be in the worst shape, but Daisuke wasn't much better off. 

"We'll head back to my lab," Koushiro decided. He was already trying to remember how to do an invisibility spell. 

Before the young wizard could move, however, footsteps sounded in the hall, and a tall, imposing figure appeared in the hall. 

Then, all went blank. 

***

"So close," the King grumbled. He surveyed the circle he had created on the table in front of him. Nearly all of the spaces had names in them. For the hundredth time, he re-read the prophecy in the book. 

"_To achieve the greatest power, _

_to become truly renowned,_

_from those who would oppose him, _

_a leader's strength is found._

_"Defying Courage to the north,_

_Love of Reason stands beside,_

_Truth of Friendship is his right hand man,_

_they help evils defy. _

_"Beside the friend comes Knowledge of All, _

_Faith in Self must aid as well,_

_Hope in Difficulty faces Westward, _

_most useful - as anyone can tell._

_"Beside the love of reason,_

_is Purity of Thought,_

_for a traitor's will does not fall._

_Standing By hope With Light, _

_the deepest traitor of them all. _

_"Somehow though a paradox, _

_kindness hidden in the dark._

_He faces East; the last to be._

_clad in darkness, _

_Is he an ally or a traitor?_

_That remains now to be seen._

_"In the future time will tell,_

_a leader's truth will shine _

_The Hope in Difficulty will be seen_

_And Standing By will be Light,_

_to shine him through the dark._

_"A Courageous Friend of Enemy,_

_The Pure Love of Enemy as well,_

_they shall ally to purge the common enemy_

_of the darkness and the hell. _

_"To a Faithful Self, Knowledge Helps,_

_The darkness soon shall pass,_

_And to regain his strength the leader need only_

_Gain strength from strengths of enemies."_

"Taichi _must_ be in the north, and then from there I can place almost all of them. But who are those last ones? And what _does_ the passage about kindness in the east mean?" 

With frustration, the King slammed his fist on the table. A crack appeared in the wood, but he barely noticed. Turning away, he faced the large picture window and was able to observe the dew-covered grounds. "Midnight would be the best time. With the full moon tonight. The magic will be strongest then. But it will be useless if I don't have all twelve." 

He was silent for a moment, fatigue setting in. Slowly, his eyelids drooped. A nap would be nice…

Suddenly, there was a knock, and the door opened. Leomon stood in front of the cracked table. "Everything all right?" he questioned.

"Just tired," the King brushed the question off. "I'm so frustrated over this damned prophecy. It doesn't make any sense." 

"No luck?" 

"None. And I can't figure out how Ichijouji fits in either." 

"Why are you so certain that he's one of them?" 

The King snorted. "My son and daughter have proven to be traitors. All those who have associated with them are most likely traitors. One of Taichi's most trusted friends is that Motomiya boy. He's _got _to fit in." 

Leomon did not respond. 

The King tore himself away from the window. "Several years ago, there was a strange little wild digimon that passed through here. I don't recall who he was, but he told many fortunes. He told me that the relative of one who had once pleased me might just be part of my downfall." 

"And you think this is Ken Ichijouji?" 

"His brother once pleased me." 

"There are many who once pleased you, sire." 

"This was right after the older boy's death," the King clarified. "It was what entered my mind then and it is what enters my mind now. But I don't know how he fits into _this_ prophecy." 

Leomon was about to offer a suggestion, when the door opened. "Sire?" 

The King stared with ice-cold eyes at the soldier who hadn't even bothered to knock. "What is it?" 

"Sire, we were about to assemble the prisoners for questioning when we discovered further traitors." 

"Further - ? Who?" 

"The wizard, sire," the soldier replied. "Koushiro. He was trying to help them escape. Would have succeeded if we had not interrupted." 

The King snorted and shook his head in disappointment. "A tragedy," he noted with some cynicism in his voice. "He would have been useful. Who else?" 

"Down the hall we discovered the Lord Physician Jyou," the guard replied. "He was attempting to distract the sentries so that the wizard could help the prisoners." 

"The Lord Jyou!?" the King was quite astonished. "I never would have thought _he_ would be a traitor to the crown!" 

"When we searched the wizard's chambers we discovered one more, sire." 

"One more? Who?" 

"Mimi Tachikawa. It appears she arrived this morning and did not announce herself. And sire-," the soldier paused momentarily. "There's something else you should see."

***

Oooh…A cliffhanger. Don'tcha love those? ^_^

Meant to have this part up a week ago, but FF.net was having issues, so I thought I'd wait. After much thought I have decided that there are _two_ parts after this one. I am almost finished with it, so that's pretty much a final tally. There will most likely be a sequel, but I plan to work on the sequel to A Stranger Digiworld first before I start on the sequel to this one. Trust me, if I do more than one story at a time, you'll get confused – I'll get confused. They'll both suffer. 

So what's coming up? Well, obviously "our heros" are in a lot of trouble. Look for the big, long confrontation with the King in the next part. I'll try to put all of that scene into one part, so that will probably be pretty long. Then the last part will clean up _most_ of the loose ends. There is, of course, going to be a big huge question thingie at the end – oh, but I can't say anymore than that - it'll give it away!! 

Don't worry Ken and or Miyako fans, (like me ^_^), the story does return to its original focus eventually. I don't forget about them. Or Daisuke. ^_^ I'm trying not to focus on any one character too long. Of course, in the next part, Taichi will have a big part, since he's fighting his father, but again I won't say anymore than that. 

Ah well, before I give out anymore information I'll end this note. If you want an update on when the next part of this or anything else I write is posted either let me know in the review or send me an email at [Turquoisecow@excite.com][1]. I'll be glad to let you know. Thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, and remember, only the plot is mine. (darn it) ^_^

   [1]: mailto:Turquoisecow@excite.com



	12. Part Twelve: The Fight For the Kingdom B...

The Dark Bandit Gateway Normal Gateway 2 15 2001-11-03T05:00:00Z 2001-11-03T04:44:00Z 2001-11-03T05:00:00Z 9 5256 29963 249 59 36796 9.2720 

The Dark Bandit 

Part Twelve

Koushiro had the most painful headache he had experienced in a quite some time. Somehow, he managed to open his eyes, and was immediately assaulted by the bright sunlight.

The King's voice could be heard nearby. "Yes, Knowledge of All. I should have known. He should go beside Truth of Friendship."

A grunting sound was the King's response, and Koushiro felt himself being hauled to his feet. Somehow, through the haze of light, he was able to feel himself being dragged and then propped against a post. He blinked in the sun and tried to move his arms, but discovered they were secured behind his back. 

A moment later, and his whole body was tied to the post. The King stood in front of him, a menacing look on his face. Koushiro managed to muster his voice. "What's going on, sire?" he questioned politely. Privately, the wizard thought he'd much rather be using one of his spells to cause him as much pain as possible. He could think of several in particular…

The King did not respond to his question. "You're a dirty traitor, Izumi," he stated blankly. "I do not answer _your_ questions any longer." He turned away then before Koushiro could respond. 

He looked around then, and noted that the post he was tied to was on the top of a low, grassy, hill some distance from the palace. A group of other posts (a quick count revealed there to be twelve) were arranged in a circle. To Koushiro's left was Yamato, who appeared conscious, alive, and extremely angry. The blond young man was struggling violently against his ropes, and the King must have been extraordinarily annoyed with him, because a cloth had been shoved in his mouth as a gag. 

But it was not Yamato who caught the young wizard's attention. It was the figure beyond that. 

He was tied to the northernmost pole in the circle, and he was barely conscious. Dried blood covered his face and fresh blood dripped from his lips. His normally wild hair was matted with dirt and blood, and his eyes were drooped. His head fell against his chest, and though he occasionally made the effort to lift it and observe his surroundings, it was obvious he was very weak. 

"Prince Taichi!" Koushiro gasped in surprise at the battered boy, who then lifted his weak head and caught the wizard's eyes. Koushiro really had nothing to say or convey. But Taichi didn't seem to mind. Somehow, a strength of will was conveyed in his eyes that Koushiro would have thought impossible at such a time. 

The wizard pulled his eyes away from Taichi after a moment and moved around the circle. Sora was tied next to the Prince, and though her eyes kept glancing worriedly towards her friend, she appeared to be fine. 

Beside Sora was Mimi. She, too, appeared to be in no physical danger. She looked at Koushiro and shrugged slightly. He shook his head slightly in response. He _had_ hoped that by leaving Mimi in his quarters, she would be kept safe, but he knew that if she had a digivice, she would most definitely not be. 

A noise to Koushiro's right caught his attention, and he observed Jyou being tied to the post beside him. 

"I really don't understand what's going on. _I'm not _a traitor!" the doctor was protesting. 

The King reached out. For a brief moment, Jyou thought he was going to hit him, but he merely reached into the young man's pocket and removed a small blue box. "Oh, but you are, doctor," the King replied mockingly, flipping it in the air as though it were a coin. "And _this_ proves it." 

"That doesn't prove anything!" Takeru snapped from the opposite side of Jyou, surprising both Jyou and the King. "We _all_ received one in the middle of the night. I don't remember ever doing anything traitorous to you!" 

The King turned towards the younger boy then, throwing the digivice at Jyou's feet. "Then you have a selective memory, younger _Ishida_," he replied, spitting the name as though it were an insult. 

"Sire?" the guards interrupted. "What about this one?" 

Koushiro gasped aloud when he saw who they were referring to. Iori stood calmly, not struggling against his bonds. But the anger in his eyes betrayed his true feelings. 

The King peered over a piece of paper for a few moments. "I doubt _he_ is kindness," he muttered. "But then, the only one left is Ichijouji, and it can't be him, can it? Oh! I'm so confused." 

"Father, please, what has Iori got to do with this?" Hikari spoke up. She was to the right of Takeru, but there was an empty space between them. "If your anger is towards Taichi, Daisuke, and myself, why must he be here?" 

"My anger has nothing to do with this, Hikari," the King replied. "You are all here to fulfill a greater purpose." The Princess opened her mouth to reply. "An explanation is not necessary. You shall remain silent **_now_**." 

Hikari frowned, but didn't answer. She turned to her right, where Daisuke was slumped weakly in his bonds. Almost directly ahead of her was her brother, and to her right, one of her closest friends. Both of them had been injured badly, and Hikari vowed to herself then and there that if she ever lived long enough to be Queen, she would make sure that no one was ever treated like this again. 

Daisuke was only dimly aware of what was going on around him. He could hear Hikari shouting beside him, he knew he was tied in a field somewhere, but everything else was a blur. "Daisuke?" he heard a voice question, and he turned in its direction. 

"You all right?" Miyako wondered. Daisuke blinked his eyes and was able to see that she was tied to a post on his right side. "You don't look so good." 

"I'll be all right," he replied, trying to persuade his legs not to give out on him. They were so weak, he just wanted to _sleep_…

"Try and stay with us, Daisuke," Miyako pleaded. "We need you." 

He blinked. "Need _me_?" 

He didn't hear Miyako's response however, because she was cut off by the King's yelling. He turned to see what he was yelling about. 

"Well, Ichijouji _can't _be kindness in the dark, can he?" the King grumbled under his breath. He rambled for a few moments about the difference between kindness and faith and other things like that, and Daisuke was only vaguely aware of what he was saying. He wondered if the King was even making sense. He didn't seem to be.

One word stuck out in Daisuke's mind. Ichijouji. '_Ken?'_ he wondered. _'Ken's here? But why? Surely they didn't find him out – did they?' _But he was _so _tired. He didn't want to stay awake any longer…

"If only there were more clues!" the King shouted in frustration. He turned to Iori. "You. Answer me a few questions." Iori didn't respond, but the King didn't appear to have noticed. "Do you have faith in yourself?" 

Iori blinked. "Um…," he stammered, stalling for time. He had absolutely no idea what to answer. It seemed like a rather meaningless question. 

"Do you?" the King demanded. 

Iori thought back on his life. He considered himself to be dependable. Reliable. He could count on himself, couldn't he? Still, he wasn't sure of the question. "I'm not sure what you're asking," he stated. 

"I don't have time for this, Hida!" the King bellowed. "Do you have faith in yourself or _not_?"

"I – guess so." 

"_YES_ or _NO_!?"

"Um - Yes?" It was more of a question than an answer, but it seemed to be enough to satisfy the King. A moment later, Iori found himself thrown against the post between Hikari and Takeru and tied securely. 

A few minutes later, there was silence. The King had stormed off back to the castle to enjoy his breakfast, and only a few guards remained. 

"Well, that was officially the weirdest thing I've ever had happen to me, and that includes last night," Jyou announced. 

"I don't know, last night comes pretty close," Mimi stated. She looked around the circle. "Does anyone have any idea _why_ we're here?" 

"I guess it has something to do with the King's plan to give Leomon strength," Sora spoke up. "I didn't know you were here yet, Mimi," she added. 

"I got in last night. Well, this morning actually," Mimi explained. Quickly, for everyone that hadn't heard, she went over what had occurred the previous evening. 

"So _you _released those – digivices," Miyako realized.   
Mimi nodded. "Yes, that was me," she replied. "Have we been introduced?" 

Miyako shook her head. "Miyako Inoue," she explained. "I'd shake hands, but -," she shrugged. 

"Perfectly understandable. Mimi Tachikawa. Nice to meet you." 

There was a muffled grumble from somewhere in the northeast corner of the circle. Yamato spit out the cloth that had been shoved in his mouth. "Can we bypass the pleasantries?" he snapped. "We've got kind of a problem here!" 

Mimi snapped back. "Well _excuse me_ for being polite!" 

Yamato sighed. "I just meant that perhaps we should try to figure out what's going on," he half-apologized. 

"Most likely the King is going to attempt to drain our strength," Miyako stated. "Or at least our digimons'. But why _here_?" 

"Tonight _would_ be the best night," Koushiro explained. "It's going to be a full moon." 

"What's that got to do with it?" Takeru wondered. 

"Enchantments have more strength when the moon is full," Hikari recalled. 

"Yes, and this hill is known for its concentration of magic," Koushiro elaborated. "A long history of mysterious occurrences happened right here." He would have continued, but he was interrupted. 

"Spare us the history lesson, Koushiro," Taichi spoke up weakly, surprising them all. "Is there any way to get _out _of here?" 

Koushiro frowned for a moment. "Not that I can see, sire," he admitted. "I can't do any spells if my arms are restrained. Unless someone was able to untie themselves…" 

"Sorry for the interruption, but I don't think we're going to have a chance to continue," Sora spoke up. She nodded ahead of her, and Taichi squinted in the morning sun to see that a group of imposing figures was headed that way. 

"Everybody, stay quiet!" Yamato half-shouted before anyone else could ask who was coming. 

The figures came closer, and soon they became clear. Thirteen soldiers entered the circle. Each of them was carrying a box. 

The boxes began to make noise, and it became evident that they were not boxes, in fact, but small cages. Shouts came from inside them. 

"Sora! Yamato! Takeru! Koushiro!" the voices shouted. 

"All right, keep silent," the one guard shouted. Immediately, the digimon were silenced. "I need to figure out who belongs to who. And I want you _all _noiseless unless _I_ ask you a question. Understand?" 

There was complete silence as the humans and digimon nodded in response. The soldiers began to file into the circle, one by one. They paused in front of the lead soldier. 

Agumon was first. He was only partially conscious, in a similar state as his partner, and he made no attempt to shout or try to escape as the cage was opened. The lead soldier lifted him from the box and placed a chain and collar around his neck which he had retrieved from his own box. Then Agumon was carried to his partner and the other end of the chain was secured to the post which Taichi was tied to. 

"Agumon?" Taichi whispered after the soldier had moved on to someone else. Agumon hugged him around the knees. "I'm so glad you're all right." 

"And you, Taichi?" the yellow dinosaur asked. "You don't look that great yourself. I guess you needed me to take care of you, huh?" 

"Yeah, I did," Taichi replied with a soft smile. Both were quiet after that, because the lead soldier shot them a_ very_ dirty look. 

After a few moments, everyone's digimon had been released, and the soldiers departed again. As soon as they were out of sight, the silence was broken. 

"Oh, Piyomon!" Sora gasped as the pink bird hugged her similar to how Agumon had hugged his partner.

"Gabumon! Good to see you again!" Yamato grinned, looking something other than annoyed for the first time in hours. 

"Palmon!" Mimi had not been separated for long, but she had been concerned nonetheless. 

"Koushiro!" Tentomon managed to fly a few feet and level with his partner's eyes. "I was worried about you." 

"Jyou. Good to see you're in one piece," Gomamon joked. "Oh! I think you dropped this!" He picked up the digivice from the ground at his partner's feet. "You might need this." 

"Thanks," Jyou grinned as his partner managed to put the device back into his pocket. 

"Patamon! I was worried about you," Takeru told his partner, who, like Tentomon, had managed to fly a few feet. 

"I'm all right, Takeru," Patamon replied. "I was more concerned about _you_." 

"So you're all right then, Armadimon?" Iori assured himself, although his partner looked fine. 

"Yup, just fine," Armadimon replied complacently. 

"Hikari! You look terrible," Tailmon noted. Hikari just smiled. 

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Thanks for being tactful about it, though." She laughed. 

"Miyako, I _knew_ that some sort of trouble like this would arise," Hawkmon couldn't resist lecturing his partner. 

Miyako wasn't phased by her digimon's advice. "And we came out all right, didn't we?"

"Well…so far…" 

"Wormmon, it's all right. Really. I'm fine." 

"Are you sure, Ken?" 

"Positive." He smiled at his digimon, who was at that moment squeezing his leg so tightly he was beginning to lose feeling in it. 

"Daisuke?" V-mon looked up at his partner, but Daisuke didn't respond. "Daisuke?" 

"Is he all right?" Hawkmon looked to the blue digimon with concern. 

"I don't know," V-mon replied. Tears were beginning to well in his eyes. "Daisuke, please answer me." 

"He's very weak, V-mon," Miyako tried to reassure him. "It's possible that he just passed out for a bit." 

"Well, then he should wake up!" V-mon declared. He grabbed Daisuke's leg and shook it. "Daisuke!" 

"Daisuke, are you in there?" Miyako tried. "Daisuke? Wake up." 

"What's the matter with him?" Ken asked, alerted to the commotion next to him. 

"Daisuke won't wake up!" V-mon wailed helplessly. Tears were falling freely now. 

"Won't wake up?" Wormmon repeated. He cast a worried glance at his partner. 

"He's – probably just resting," Ken stated. 

"I tried that," Miyako whispered softly. "Didn't help." 

"Wake up, Daisuke!" V-mon shouted again, this time pounding on his partner's knee in frustration. 

"Ouch!" Daisuke woke up and winced in pain. 

"Daisuke!" V-mon squeezed his legs. "You're awake!" 

Daisuke only blinked in surprise. 

***

"I'm so hungry," Mimi moaned. 

"I'm tired of standing," Miyako agreed, standing on her left leg and shaking her right and then switching them again. 

"I'm cold," Jyou grumbled, shivering slightly despite the warm weather. 

"It's almost dark," Takeru observed. "Whatever's going to happen will happen soon, right?"   
"Well, not until midnight, probably," Koushiro corrected. "That's most likely at least five hours away now." 

"Gee, Koushiro, you know how to put a bright light on the situation, don't you?" Jyou noted, looking sidelong at his friend. 

The young wizard shrugged slightly. "I'm just trying to think sensibly," he defended himself. 

"Koushiro, now is not the time to give _anyone_ an excuse to complain," Yamato advised from his opposite side. 

"There's got to be _something_ we can do," Taichi frowned. He was deep in thought, as he had been all day, but he had not come to any conclusions as of yet. 

"Well, if we could get the digimon to evolve, that would solve all of our problems," Mimi noted. "Unfortunately, I don't know how to do that." 

"Evolve?" Miyako repeated. She stared at Hawkmon. "I think they're too weak to evolve." Her digimon was at that moment leaning weakly against her legs, barely able to stand. 

"If we had eaten something today they might have been able," Sora thought aloud. "But we didn't get anything. If we're really weak, they're really weak." 

"If there's enough danger, the theory is that the digimon will evolve to help the partner," Koushiro stated, as though reciting from a book. "I think that having a digivice is essential, however, even with one, we're simply not at risk at the moment." 

"Sure we are!" Takeru interrupted. "Just not a danger they can fight." 

"Yeah, we're in danger of freezing to death and dying of starvation," Jyou mumbled pessimistically. 

"Now who's putting a damper on the situation?" Koushiro asked. 

"We'll probably be in more serious danger at midnight," Ken spoke up for the first time, interrupting the argument before it could begin. 

"Yeah, if they're not too weak to fight at midnight," Daisuke grumbled. He was still weak, but was managing to remain awake and conscious. 

***

It was too dark to see now, and everyone was so tired they could barely stand. Hunger growled at the inside of their stomachs, begging for food of some kind, but there was nothing anyone could give in response. 

Gabumon was the first to spot the dark figures coming from the castle. "I see them, Yamato," he alerted his half-asleep partner. Yamato peered into the night and was able to make out five dark shapes in the light of the castle's candles, peering from the window. 

"I see them, too," he replied. "Hey," he whispered to his left. "Taichi?" 

"I see them," the Prince replied. "Sora?" 

"Huh?" 

"See them? Out there?" 

"I see them. Mimi, they're coming." 

"About time," Mimi grumbled. She turned to the boy on her left. "They're coming." 

"So I heard." 

"All right, just letting you know!"  
"Miyako? They're coming." 

"Oh, boy. Daisuke?" 

"I hear. Hikari?" 

"Coming already?" A sigh. "Iori?" 

"I'm ready as I'll ever be. Takeru?" 

"I hear it, Iori. Doctor?" 

"All right, is everyone ready to die? Or at least feel pain?"   
"Jyou!" 

"Sorry, I just had to be pessimistic one last time, Koushiro. They're coming." 

"Right. Yamato?" 

"I know already, Koushiro. I see them!" 

"Oh. Sorry."

By this time, the figures were almost at the circle. The leader of the figures carried  lamp, and he held it in the air in the center. 

A short figure that Koushiro was able to identify as one of the King's wizards carried a large book of spells. Leomon, following, placed a large table in the center of the circle, which the wizard then placed the book of spells on. The King then set the lamp beside it. The Queen and her Elecmon remained outside the circle, watching. 

"Will this take long?" the Queen questioned. "I'd like to get some sleep before dawn." 

"Of course not," her husband replied. "It won't take long at all." 

"Mind filling us in on what's going to happen?" Taichi asked. 

His parents ignored him. The tall, thin, and scared looking wizard squeaked. "It's just a quick spell," he answered. "You probably won't feel any pain – just a draining sensation." 

Taichi gave him such a look of anger that the he squeaked again in surprise and turned back to his book. "I should get started then," he mumbled. 

The King peered at an hourglass the Queen was carrying. "Just a few moments," he decided. Leomon positioned himself beside the table and waited, looking as terrifying as ever. 

"Everyone must have the devices on them if this is going to work," the squeaky wizard explained. 

"Well, make sure that they do, then," the King replied. 

The wizard looked quite afraid, but he knew better than to disobey. He went around the circle, braving the digimon, and found that everyone had the little blue boxes in their pockets somewhere – except Taichi. 

Agumon growled softly under his breath in the little wizard's direction. He leapt back a few feet in fear, and shivered slightly at the sight of the yellow dinosaur. After a few seconds, he tried to step forward again, but Agumon growled again. 

The King turned towards his son. "Is there a problem?" 

The wizard pointed fearfully at the Prince's digimon. "I don't trust it." 

The King, unafraid of Agumon, stepped forward. "You _will_ allow him to search you. Call off the digimon unless you wish to face the consequences." 

There were a few moments of silence as a staring contest resumed. The King stepped away. Taichi sighed, but reluctantly agreed.

"Agumon, it's all right," he said then in a soft voice. Agumon looked doubtful. "He's not going to hurt me, I promise." 

"You sure?" Agumon questioned, disbelieving. Taichi nodded. Reluctantly, the digimon backed off and settled for watching the wizard with a very angry expression, as the other digimon had done. 

"We seem to be ready, sire," the little wizard reported as soon as he had braved the dinosaur. 

"Good." The King had returned to peering over the magic book. "Begin."

Miyako stared in shock as the wizard began to read the words to the spell. 

_Let the energy from the Chosen_

_flow through the air again…_

At that moment, she felt a strange tingling in her spine. "What?" she gasped, and she looked around her. The others must also be feeling it, because of the surprised expressions on their faces. 

_Let the energy from these ancient objects_

_that once was formed to protect_

_These children that have been Chosen,_

_their energy flows again…_

_at my command…_

Miyako felt a strange pull from somewhere inside of her. Suddenly, the digivice that she kept in her pocket began to glow and emit high-pitched noises. 

"What's going on?" she heard Daisuke wonder from somewhere beside her. She turned her head to see his expression, but found herself being blinded by the light bursting from his digivice. Suddenly, the lights were coming from all over the circle – blinding white lights that enveloped the King and his wizard and the book and Leomon in the center of the circle. 

Somewhere to the left Miyako could hear Mimi, screaming something, but she couldn't tell what. Maybe it wasn't words. Maybe it was just Mimi screaming. Miyako couldn't tell, because the digivices were emitting squealing noises now. In her pocket, she could feel her own little blue box bouncing around as though it were demanding to be released.

She became aware then that the wizard was reading from the book, and strained her ears to listen, although she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he was saying. 

_Energy transferred from them unto the power that requests_

_Energy flow now from these unworthy Chosen_

_flow now to the one they shall soon call master,_

_to the one who stands before me now._

Miyako could see Leomon move to stand before the wizard and the book, preparing to receive the energy. 

_Energy! Flow now to the one who is worthy of it! _

_Flow to he who stands before me -  now!_

Miyako felt a sharp pain in her head, and cried out from it. Suddenly, she felt as though she had been drugged. She felt so weak she could barely stand. 

Around her, Miyako could hear the others, crying out in pain and then silencing as the weakness overtook them as well. Then, she heard Hawkmon cry out. 

Abruptly, Miyako felt as though she had a bit more energy. "Hawkmon!" she cried. The world was composed of only herself and her digimon. The blinding white lights around her, the wailing noises of the digivices. She saw only the form of Hawkmon before her, a dark silhouette against the bright lights. 

Neither Miyako, Hawkmon, nor any of the others in the circle saw Leomon step forward and absorb the energy of the white lights as they shined into him. They didn't see the King's ferocious smile of triumph as he absorbed the scene. 

Daisuke, too, saw only V-mon. He knew only that he and his digimon were weak. _'What's causing this?'_ he found a voice in the back of his mind wondering. _'_Why_ are we so weak? It's not right.'_

Somehow, his awareness returned with that voiceless question. They were being drained. "No!" he shouted as loud as possible. "I won't give in!" His digivice ceased glowing. The light stopped shining. Leomon staggered in pain. 

Daisuke's shout was enough to break the others out of the dazed world they had entered. Miyako became aware of what was happening. "No!" she agreed. "I can't let the King hurt my friends – my family. I _won't_ Leomon give my energy." The light stopped shining, and the digivice's squealing halted. Leomon gasped again as less light was given. 

"What's going on?!" the King demanded. 

"I-I don't know, sire," the wizard replied, fumbling through the pages of his book. He was sweating profusely. 

"Well, _find out!"_

"Working on it, sire."

Miyako saw Daisuke through the dimmer but still quite bright light. "We've got to stop them," she realized. 

"We do," Daisuke nodded. "Everyone! Don't help them! Snap out of it!" He turned to the boy on his left. "Iori! Hikari!" 

"I'm – so weak," Iori managed to mumble.

"You can do it, Iori," Daisuke shouted over the noise from the digivices. "I know you can." 

"I can't..." 

"You can, Iori, I know you can! Just try! Come on! We can't let them win! Think of what Leomon and the King will do!"

Miyako was having similar trouble with the boy on her left. "Ken, please, snap out of it!" she begged, but he wasn't responding. "You're being drained, Ken, all right? But you don't have to be. You don't have to give the King your energy. You don't want to, do you? Think of what will happen if you do? People will get hurt. You don't want that, do you?" 

The light coming from Ken's digivice abruptly stopped. His eyes opened and he looked at her. "What's happening?" 

"We don't have to let this happen, Iori," Daisuke was still trying to give his friend support. "Just fight. _Please _fight." 

The light from Iori's digivice stopped as well. The small boy peered up at Daisuke. "I won't let this happen." 

Leomon gasped in pain as two more lights stopped feeding into him. "What's – happening?" he growled. "They're not supposed to be _able_ to fight this!"

"I don't know!" the wizard replied, sweat pouring in buckets from his face now. "I'm trying to figure it out." He fumbled through his spell book at a fast speed, frantically searching.

"Hikari!" Iori and Daisuke were both shouting. "You can do it!" 

"Mimi!" Miyako and Ken were both crying. "We don't have to do this! Don't let them take your energy!" 

Two more lights stopped flowing. 

"Fix this now!" the King shouted to the wizard. He jumped away from the table and ran to his son. "Taichi! Whatever you are trying, you'd better stop it!" 

"I – won't – let this happen," Taichi managed to whisper. His voice was so low that the King could barely hear him. 

He grabbed his son by the shoulders and shook him, hard. "You will give Leomon all your energy. You will give it to him, do you understand!" 

"I won't." 

"You will give it to him! He _needs_ it!" 

"I won't." His voice was a little louder now. 

"I need him stronger and this is the _only_ way to do it!" 

"Sora!" Mimi shouted. "Don't give in!" 

"Takeru!" Iori, and Hikari were shouting. "Don't give up hope!" 

Two more lights went dark. Leomon's scream pierced the night. 

"I won't give in," Taichi's voice was louder now. 

"Jyou! We're counting on you!" Takeru shouted to the doctor. "Don't give up!" 

"I'm not giving in!" Taichi shouted. His light and the light from Jyou went dark. "Yamato!" he shouted to the boy on his right. 

"Koushiro! We need you!" Jyou shouted. 

The last two lights went dark. Leomon roared with pain as the light subsided. A bright light surrounded him. 

"No!" the King shouted. "This isn't over! You will _all _pay!" 

"_Agumon_," Taichi whispered. "_Do you think you can – ?"_

The bright light surrounding Leomon dulled slightly, and a lowly little gray digimon with two long ears and angry, deceitful eyes appeared. 

"What's that?" Takeru wondered. 

"He's a Gazimon!" Mimi shouted. 

"He – de-evolved?" Yamato gasped. 

"He's only a child now," Koushiro realized. 

The light around the Gazimon did not subside, however, and he continued to shrink. 

"He's de-evolving even more?" Miyako gasped. 

"He must have lost a _lot_ of energy," Ken noted. "Too much to stay even at a _child_ stage." 

"Pagumon!" The King rushed forward and grabbed the little digimon, who was slumped weakly and looking as though he might de-evolve again.

"Boy, what a backfire that spell was," Yamato commented wryly. 

The Queen now stepped into the circle, Elecmon with her. Sparks flashed between his tail blades. "Nobody move." 

"You're only a Child - like us," V-mon noted boldly. "Why should we be afraid of _you_?" 

The sparks danced. "Sparkling Thunder!" A bolt of electricity hit the small blue digimon in the head, sending him flying back into Daisuke's feet. 

"V-mon?" Daisuke asked. "You all right?" 

V-mon gripped his head. "I'll be fine," he mumbled, but certainly did not look as though he was up for any further sort of fighting. 

"Any one _else_ want to try?" Elecmon demanded. No one replied. 

The King was still sobbing over his Pagumon. He stood up now. "Don't think this is the end!" he warned them. 

"Oh, but it is, Father." 

Agumon had somehow managed to release his partner, and Taichi now stood rather formidably in front of the post he had once been tied to. He held his digivice loosely in his right hand. 

The King laughed. At first it was forced, but then it was genuine. "Do you really think that little thing can defeat me, Taichi?" 

"Your digimon is almost useless to you now, Father," Taichi replied. His voice was cold now, all sympathy and respect for his father having been removed in the days he'd spent in the dungeon. "Defeating you will not be a problem." 

The King didn't reply. 

"Taichi," the Queen spoke up. Elecmon stood beside her, the sparks still flashing around his tail. 

"I'm sorry, Mother," Taichi replied. "But I can't let this happen. If you were willing to hurt your own children, imagine what would have happened to the innocents of this land." 

"If we wanted to succeed, certain sacrifices had to be made," the King answered. 

"Like innocent people being hurt?" Daisuke demanded. "I've seen what _sacrifices_ you've made. Like ignoring your own people?"

"I ignored no one in need!" the King snapped. 

"You ignored plenty of people in need!" 

"What about those people that lost their homes in the war? That lost loved ones?" Ken questioned in a voice that was only slightly calmer than his friend. 

"Those were sacrifices that had to be made!"

"To _them_! There was no sacrifice to **_you_**_!" _Daisuke spat the word out the ground. 

"Daisuke, calm down, please," Hikari pleaded softly. In a louder voice, she said: "Father, _I _don't understand what your reasoning behind all this was. _Why _was it necessary to try to evolve Leomon?" 

"Isn't that apparent, Hikari?" the Queen asked. 

"No, not to me, Mother. Leomon is already the strongest digimon for many miles around. Why do you need him to be stronger?" 

"I have made my name in this time, Hikari," the King replied, his voice a bit more subdued now. "I need to be known for _all_ time." 

"Well, now you might be," Jyou mumbled under his breath. "You might be known as the stupid king that tried to kill his own children in order to gain power he didn't need." 

"Jyou!" Koushiro gasped. 

"It's true," Takeru agreed, from the opposite side. "There's _no_ reason to gain more power. You only wanted it so you could scare people off from other sides. But you forgot about your own children, and your own kingdom." 

"And there _are_ no other kingdoms in the area that would be a serious threat," Mimi noted. "The only neighboring lands are peaceful neighbors. The war many years ago left that enemy with a very small army and almost no money. There's no _need _to have that sort of power."

The King did not reply to these statements. "So what do you plan to do now, Taichi?" 

Yamato spoke up. "He's going to do what he should have done a long time ago! He's going to take his place where he should!" 

Sora shook her head. "Are you sure that's wise, Taichi? You're still young." 

"He's old enough to be King! He'd probably do a better job than the current ruler," Yamato replied. 

"Old enough, yes," Sora agreed. "But is he _ready_ for that kind of responsibility?" 

"He'd be an improvement if he were a rock!" 

"It takes _brains_ to rule." 

"I know that. I'm just saying that Taichi can make decisions that are a lot more beneficial to the ruling of the kingdom than our current leader. Even if he _isn't_ ready or mature enough or whatever, he can _still_ do a better job." 

"Yamato, Sora," Taichi spoke up then, and they broke off their argument. "Thanks for the advice, but I can speak for myself." 

"Uh - right." 

"Sorry, Taichi." 

"So what will you do?" 

"Exactly what I planned to do before," he replied. 

"Taichi, think this over," the Queen spoke up. "Are you certain you want to take on this task?" 

"I do, Mother," Taichi replied. "You can decide now. If you wish to stay with Father, you will not be harmed."

The Queen merely stared in shock at her eldest child. "Taichi –."

"I'm sorry Mother, now is not the time for sentimentality. I cannot allow things to continue this way." Taichi's voice was again cold. 

She nodded and stepped out of the circle. Elecmon's sparks flashed one last time and dissipated. The still-sweating, nervous wizard darted after her to safety. 

The King stared in surprise as his wife and her digimon left the circle. The rest of the observers in the circle were silent. 

"Do you want to give up now, Father, or will you make it difficult?" 

The King rose to his feet, lifting his Pagumon with him. "This is _my_ Kingdom, Taichi. It has been for many years. I will not give it up without a fight." 

"And _what_ do you expect fight with?" Yamato spoke up. 

In response, the King reached into his pocket and removed a small whistle. He lifted it to his lips and blew. A high-pitched wail came from the instrument, and almost before he had run out of breath, a dozen soldiers had appeared at the edge of the circle, a digimon beside each of them. Dokunemon, Mushmon, Lopmon, and a few Agumon lined the edges. 

Yamato's eyes grew wide.

Taichi didn't appear phased. "Still so confident, son?" the King mocked. "I won't hesitate to do damage to you if you wish to fight." 

The Prince remained silent for a long period of time. He glanced to Agumon. "Ready?" 

"Whenever you are, Taichi," Agumon replied. He smiled, but all could see he was serious at the same time.    

"I'm not giving in, Father."

With these words, pandemonium broke out. The soldiers, yelling, rushed the scene, their digimon beside them. Agumon, seeing the danger, lobbed a few "_Baby Flames_" at the other attackers, but they served little purpose other than to knock a few humans down. 

The Queen decided to become useful and began to untie Yamato. Elecmon tried to help, but his paws were useless for untying ropes. Instead, he tried to help by knocking out a few of the soldiers. The Queen instead ordered the scared little wizard to help out, and he did, after hesitating a moment, beginning to untie Koushiro. 

A second later, Yamato was untied and Gabumon was attempting to knock out a few soldiers themselves while his partner moved to untie Sora. He was unable to remove the chain from his digimon's neck, who was assisting nonetheless, shooting a "Petit Fire" at anyone who tried to get near his partner. 

Another second, and a soldier was behind Taichi, holding out a knife to his throat. The immediate danger great, his digivice began to wail and glow. The soldier, blinded by the light, dropped the knife, and the others near him pulled back in fear of the unknown, but Taichi knew what would happen. 

"Agumon!" he shouted in the direction of his digimon, still chained by the neck to the post he had once been tied to. 

"Agumon evolve!" Agumon shouted over the noise and confusion and light. 

Through the blinding white light, Taichi could see the shape of Agumon growing larger. The chain expanded, cracked, and fell off uselessly.  Most of the soldiers backed off. 

"Greymon!"

***

Yeah! Another cliffhanger!

Okay, this was really long and really sappy. I know I said the whole fight was going to be one part, but it was really long so I had to break it up. Expect the next part to be out in a couple of days, and then the epilogue. 

In case anyone was wondering, yes, Gazimon _can_ evolve to Leomon. And the De-evolution from Gazimon is Pagumon. Got that information from www.megchan.com, in case you might be wondering. I thought that, of Leomon's de-evolutions, Gazimon was the best idea. Besides, I always liked Gazimon. 

More fight coming soon, so stick around just a bit longer! Thanks for reading this far and thanks for reviewing! I had so much fun writing this – still am! – and I hope everyone enjoys it. 

Oh yeah, in case you forgot, I don't own Digimon or any of the characters or digimon in it. The few meager and minor characters that I created in this story are MINE! And so is the plot, so don't steal and don't sue. Thanks! ^_^


	13. Part Thirteen: A King's Victory

Taichi stared in shock and (he later had to admit this) pride Gateway Normal Gateway 2 10 2001-11-07T03:22:00Z 2001-11-07T03:22:00Z 5 6181 35234 293 70 43269 9.2720 

The Dark Bandit

Part Thirteen

Taichi stared in shock and (he later _had_ to admit this) pride. His digimon was now more than double his original height. Greymon was a formidable digimon. 

"Mega Flame!" Greymon grumbled, and a huge fireball hit the ground. At least a dozen soldiers scattered away to avoid it. 

"Taichi! You did it!" Yamato shouted, running in his friend's direction. "Now let's get out of his way!"

The young Prince reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled out of the center of the fray and outside of the circle. "Isn't it great?" he stated, still awed by the sight of his own digimon. Several little Agumon were now attacking him at once, but the massive orange dinosaur seemed unfazed by the attacks.

"It is," Yamato agreed. "I knew we could do it." 

"But we're not done yet," Taichi realized then, pulling himself back to reality. "Go. Set the others free. Help my mother. Make sure everyone's safe." 

"What about you?" 

"I've got work to do." And he had run off into the fray again before Yamato could respond. 

"All right everyone!" Yamato shouted, eager to have been given some sort of purpose. "Let's get out of here!" 

Sora was untied by this time, and she and Yamato began to untie the others. Koushiro, now that his hands were free, was forming an energy ball he hoped would remove the chains from the digimon. Tentomon, as the first subject, was cowering defensively, but it worked. A moment later, he was free. 

"I did it!" Koushiro cheered, celebrating for a moment before aiming another at Gabumon, the nearest digimon available to him. Tentomon fired a few "_Petit Thunder" _at a few soldiers and their Lopmon partners that attempted to distract his partner. 

Gabumon, now free, was able to knock out a few more. "Thanks!" he stated appreciatively to Koushiro and Tentomon. Both grinned in response and then turned to Gomamon. 

Jyou had just been freed only seconds before, and was trying to dodge the soldiers. Few of them were attacking them anymore, most were running towards or away from Taichi and Greymon. Some, however, would shoot attacks in his direction while they ran for their lives, hoping to stop them and get something accomplished in the process. They were easy to dodge, however the doctor refused to leave his partner, as Gomamon was nearly defenseless on land. 

"Don't bother!" Gomamon shouted. "You can't protect me anymore than I can!"

"Don't be silly!" Jyou argued in response. "I'm not leaving you." 

"You won't have to," Tentomon greeted. "Stand back please." 

Koushiro lobbed the ball at Gomamon, and the chain collapsed. "Thanks!" Gomamon said as he followed Jyou to safer ground. 

Both the wizard and his partner grinned as they continued to Takeru. Jyou ran in the direction of the palace. After all, Yamato _had_ shouted that they should get out of there, hadn't he?

Gomamon was disappointed about leaving the scene of battle, but agreed that it would be best for them to go. They turned to escape. Jyou didn't notice the rock in his path. He glanced back toward the battle to see if anyone was following them. A few moments later he found himself lying on the ground.

"Jyou, are you all right?" Gomamon gasped, running back to his partner. Aside from a bloody nose, the doctor was fine. However, he had landed face down in front of a soldier with a rather vicious looking Agumon. 

The Agumon opened his mouth. Jyou's digivice began to scream with a sharp wail. 

"Gomamon evolve!"

"Evolve?" Jyou gasped. He turned his head as the Agumon and his partner turned and ran. He could see Gomamon growing larger. A moment later, the light subsided and a huge fur-covered creature with a horn growing out of its head towered over them. 

"Ikkakumon!" 

The soldier and his Agumon wailed in terror. But they weren't safe, nor were the half-dozen Dokunemon that were in the area. "Harpoon Vulcan!" the giant-sized digimon roared. A torpedo shot from the tip of his horn. As it hit the ground below, the crowd scattered and Jyou suddenly felt perhaps it _wouldn't_ be necessary to leave the scene. 

Yamato turned from where he was attempting to free his brother when he heard the crash of Ikkakumon's torpedo. "Gomamon evolved?" he gasped in surprise. 

"That means we all must be able to!" Koushiro realized. 

"Baby Flame!" 

An Agumon chose that moment to attack the wizard, and, unprepared, Koushiro was barely able to dodge the fiery attack. He fell backwards on to Takeru, who was still tied to his post. 

"Koushiro, are you all right?" Iori managed to ask from nearby. 

"I-think so," the wizard replied, standing up. He apologized to Takeru, who took no personal offense at the action. 

"Koushiro, look out!" Yamato warned, as the Agumon prepared to fire again. Koushiro barely heard the warning, however, as his digivice had already begun to emit a high pitched noise. 

"Tentomon!" Koushiro shouted, knowing enough about the evolution process to know what would come next. 

"Tentomon evolve!" the little bug shouted in reply. A white light surrounded him and a moment later faded. "Kabuterimon!" 

Koushiro, like the others who had already experienced evolution, was awed by his partner's immense power and size. "Astounding," the wizard gasped under his breath as Kabuterimon began to drive off the Agumon that had dared attack his partner. 

"Mega Blaster!" Kabuterimon shouted, and the Agumon went running at the sight of the giant energy ball that flew towards them. 

A few moments later, Takeru, Iori, and Hikari were free. "Where's my brother?" Hikari demanded as soon as she had been released. She glanced around wildly. 

"He's over there," Daisuke noted, staring straight ahead. Takeru was in the process of untying him.

Hikari turned to see. Taichi and the King were standing at the edge of the hill they were on. Separated from the rest of the digimon, including Greymon, one could almost see the electricity of the impending battle cackling around them. 

The Princess turned to go after her brother. Daisuke reached out to grab her arm as soon as it was free a second later. "Hikari, don't go." 

"Why? He needs me! I can't let them fight like this!" she demanded. 

"It's something that has to be done," Daisuke noted sagely. 

"But – they can't! I'll – I'll loose one of them!" Tears were in her eyes. She turned and stared at Daisuke. 

Iori and Takeru exchanged glances, but neither spoke. 

"They have to, Princess," Daisuke repeated. "I know one of them will be hurt, but it's something that has to happen." He grabbed her other arm as she turned away from him. "You _have _to let them do this." 

"He's right, Hikari," Takeru spoke up. "This is a battle that has to take place." 

"But why?" she demanded, turning her face then towards her friend. "Why can't they just live in peace?" 

Iori shook his head. "I don't think either of them would agree to that," he predicted. 

"Sorry to interrupt, guys, but we've got to move!" Koushiro spoke up. He had finished untying Miyako and releasing Hawkmon and V-mon, and was now working on Ken. He gestured towards the advancing line of Agumon. "There's too many of them for Kabuterimon to handle on his own." 

The large blue bug-like digimon did appear to be having some trouble holding off the crowd. He was too busy dealing with the Dokunemon in sky to even notice the Agumon and Lopmon. 

"Well, hurry up and lets get out of here!" Miyako shoved Koushiro out of the way and began to untie Ken instead. "I'll do that, you free the digimon! You're the only one that can do it!" 

She did have a point. By this time everyone except Ken had been untied, but Wormmon, Piyomon, and Palmon were still chained. Koushiro got to work. Suddenly, there was a shout from above them. A white light surrounded Kabuterimon, and a moment later, Koushiro dived forward to catch a very weak Tentomon as he fell forwards. 

"I'm all right," the little ladybug assured his partner with a weakened sigh. "Just a bit weak." Koushiro smiled with relief and hurried back to freeing the others. 

"Let's get going!" Yamato shouted. He and Gabumon had been trying to hold off the Agumon, with help from Ikkakumon, but they couldn't hold out much longer. 

"Good plan!" Jyou agreed. "Ikkakumon!" he shouted. "Time to retreat!" 

"Already?" Ikkakumon groaned. Despite his troubles, he'd been having a bit of fun. Lopmon crowds had only become difficult when they had begun attacking in a large group. 

Jyou ignored that comment. "Get ready to fall back!" 

At the exact moment the doctor shouted those words, a lone Lopmon shouted violently and rushed itself at Yamato. Before anyone could react, it had tackled the young man to the ground and was preparing to attack. Yamato was so shocked he didn't know what to do. His digivice was wailing and glowing brightly. The Lopmon was blinded, and began to back off. 

"Gabumon evolve!" 

Yamato managed to turn his head and squint through the bright light. 

"Garurumon!" A huge, four legged digimon stood where the small Gabumon had once stood. It had the blue and white coloring of Gabumon, but almost everything else was different. Yamato was so stunned he could barely move. 

His digimon, luckily, did not have that problem. "Fox Fire!" he shouted his attack, and blue flames shot from his mouth. Several Lopmon and their partners turned and ran. The few that stayed were badly damaged. "Get going! I'll hold them off!" Garurumon shouted to his partner. 

Yamato nodded mutely but didn't move. Takeru rushed forward and grabbed his brother by the arm, hauling him upwards. A moment later, he recovered and joined his brother and the rest of the group as they ran down the side of the hill. 

"Where are we running to?" Daisuke shouted over the sounds of the battle behind them. 

"I don't know!" Yamato shouted. "We just needed to get everyone out of there safely." 

"_Have_ we got everyone?" Takeru wondered once they reached the bottom. He looked over the group. 

"All except Taichi," Hikari noted pessimistically. "We've got to go back." 

"Hikari," Daisuke began. 

"No, Daisuke, we have to," Hikari insisted. "We've got to go back and help him. If Taichi looses, it will be up to _me_ to carry on the fight. My mother is still back there. We've got to help her. I'm not running away and living in exile when my true place is here in the palace, taking charge of my destiny to rule this kingdom. If my brother is by my side, all the better. But I'm not running away _anymore_!" 

Daisuke blinked. There was silence. Then the Princess turned away and began marching back up the side of the hill. Tailmon followed behind her, and equally determined expression on her own face. 

For a few moments, no one spoke. Then Daisuke began to walk after her. V-mon hurried behind him. Then Ken followed his friend, and Miyako shortly after, their digimon trailing them as well. Sora was next, and then Mimi. Yamato shrugged and began to follow with his brother. Koushiro, Iori, and Jyou glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed along. 

Ikkakumon, Garurumon, and Greymon had managed to retreat to the edge of the hill. "I thought you said we were retreating," Garurumon complained to his partner. 

Yamato shrugged. "There was a change in plans," he replied. "Let's see if we can get rid of some of these guys." 

"Fine with me!"

"Me, too!" Ikkakumon agreed. Both digimon began to fire their attacks into the crowds violently. 

A few moments later, everyone was involved in the attack. Despite his shock earlier, V-mon was able to head butt a few softer-headed Lopmon with great ease. Tailmon jumped eagerly into the battle, swiping violently with her claws at anyone stupid enough to get close to her or her partner. Armadimon curled himself into a ball and rolled at a few, scattering the small digimon and injuring a few more. Hawkmon hurled the feather that stuck up from the top of his head – which turned out to be a dangerous weapon. Patamon sucked in air and then blew it back at the flying Dokunemon. 

Tentomon, though weakened from his de-evolution earlier, managed to still shock a few of the flying digimon, though he promised his partner he wouldn't overtire himself. Wormmon flung his sticky web-like material, and a few of the Agumon were caught in a giant-sized net. He pulled them aside, out of the battle field. Piyomon was assisting Tentomon with the flying Dokunemon, and Palmon had a similar strategy as Wormmon, using her long vines to grab a few digimon and some of their partners and hurl them off the hill. 

Koushiro was easily the most powerful of the human fighters, as the energy balls he produced could knock out several soldiers or digimon. But they took some concentration to form, and he was tiring after a long day with nothing to eat. Tentomon tried to protect him as best he could, and Yamato swung a sword (he had swiped from a fallen soldier) dangerously and with some skill while the wizard prepared his spells. 

Daisuke concentrated on trying to break through the crowd of soldiers so that Hikari could get to her mother, who was assisting her Elecmon with a long, thick stick. The young, nervous wizard had run off shortly after the battle's beginning, leaving the Queen to fend for herself. Tailmon was highly effective against the crowd of digimon, but Daisuke, with a stolen sword of his own, was more useful against the human adversaries. Ken had been right, he was good with a sword, even though he was young and lacked the years of serious training the soldiers had. 

Ken himself was trying to assist Jyou, Koushiro, and Iori in protecting Miyako, Sora, and Mimi. Though none of the girls were weak, they were unaccustomed to fighting. Iori was a formidable fighter with a sword, defeating soldiers that were easily twice his size. Ken, because of his practice as the Dark Bandit, was comparable in skill. The doctor managed to hold his own, having had only limited training in the sword-fighting himself. 

Miyako, Mimi, and Sora were quite able to handle the few soldiers that leaked through their defensive line. Sora had limited fencing training herself, due to her friendship with Taichi and her tomboyish, eager nature. Miyako and Mimi were less trained, but as equally strong willed. As neither had ever used a sword before, they both adopted the Queen's strategy and grabbed large sticks they had found lying on the ground. They were easy weapons to be gained – as there were many trees around and one did not have to search for a fallen soldier to steal a sword from. 

At the edge of the cliff, Taichi and his father had been in a standoff for several minutes already. The Prince had stolen a sword from the nearest soldier, and the King had put down his digimon. The once-mighty Leomon now took the form of a tiny, weakened Pagumon and was useless to his partner in the battle. Father and son, they stood there, sizing each other up, each uncertain of when to begin. 

Suddenly, without warning, the King lunged towards his son, sword outstretched. Taichi easily moved into a defensive position and blocked the blow. The clank of their swords echoed for a moment in the relative silence, and then was lost in the noise of the battle nearby. Then it was followed by many others, as a quick, rapid swordfight followed. 

Taichi was not quite certain if he was being suicidal or if he had an actual chance at winning the battle. His father was larger, and stronger than him. He had been brutally tortured for the last few days, and had not eaten anything since the day before. He had been made to stand in the hot sun for the past fifteen hours. He should have been exhausted. 

But something other than pure strength and conviction drove Taichi. Somehow, with the odds against him, he had managed to evolve his digimon to a stage few had reached in centuries. He had managed to not only summon the courage to fight, he had the strength. 

So he blocked his father's attacks and fought back with an intensity few would have thought possible. 

Hikari heard, somehow, over the din of the fighting around her, the shout that came from her brother's lips as he fought, and she turned, afraid of what she might see. Taichi and her father were locked, sword to sword, in their eyes a passionate anger she was able to sense from even fifty feet away. 

It was enough to stop the young Princess in her tracks. "No!" she gasped. "Taichi!"

Daisuke, at that moment locking swords with an opponent of his own, heard her gasp but dared not turn his head. Not only because he would loose concentration and leave himself open to an attack, but because he was afraid of what he might see. It was only after he had defeated his opponent he dared to spare a glance at his friend and Prince. 

Taichi and the King were both moving so quickly it was almost as though they were in two places at once. Their swords clashing were almost nothing more than bright flashes – reflections of the light from the candles scattered about the hill, the bright moon overhead, and the light coming from the castle.

"Mother!" Hikari shouted, and broke through the soldiers to run towards the Queen. A moment later she was there, beside her mother, and Daisuke knew she would be safe. He needed to get back to the others.   
V-mon looked up at him as though he was reading his mind, awaiting his next instructions. "Let's head back," he decided. "They need our help." 

"Won't Hikari need our help, too?" V-mon wondered. 

Daisuke looked back towards Hikari. The Queen had managed to hide behind a few trees and was almost unbothered. "No," he decided. "Tailmon and Elecmon can keep them safe." He looked back towards where his friends were. "We need to help them." 

Suddenly, there was a shout from the area where Mimi and Sora were. Daisuke shielded his eyes from the bright light that filled the area. A moment later, he could see a tall plant and a giant fiery bird appear from the circle. 

"They need us, huh?" V-mon asked. 

Daisuke shrugged. "Ah, so maybe they _can_ take care of themselves," he admitted. 

V-mon pouted slightly as they headed back towards the Queen and Hikari. "How come I can't evolve?" he demanded. "Everyone _else_ has!" 

"Not everyone," Daisuke reminded him. "Hawkmon, Wormmon, Tailmon, Patamon, and Armadimon haven't." His partner was only slightly cheered up. "Let's get to Hikari." 

Tailmon swiped a few Lopmon out of the way as Daisuke and V-mon reached Hikari and her mother. "It doesn't matter what success we have here," the Queen was saying, gesturing over the battlefield. "What matters is what happens at that battle." She looked up towards where her son and husband were fighting and shook her head sadly. "We can only hope for the best."   
Hikari turned then, just in time to see Daisuke and V-mon approach. "Good, you're all right," she said with a slight smile when she saw them. "Isn't there anything we can do to help?" 

Daisuke sighed and leaned against a tree, suddenly feeling the exhaustion he'd managed to hold off for the past few hours. "I don't think so, Princess," he replied, breathing heavily. "This is something Taichi has to do by himself." 

"Let's give him whatever help we can right here," Tailmon spoke up, a determined grin on her face. "The more success we have here, the better our chances, right?" 

Daisuke stood up again. "Right," he agreed. He looked at Hikari. "Like you said, time to stop running away. Time to fight." 

The Queen handed Hikari a long stick. "Ready?" 

"Ready," she replied, her expression mirroring Tailmon's. 

On the opposite side of the hill, Yamato's anger and loyalty to his friend were fueling his strength. He swung his sword violently against the soldiers, almost unaware of how many there were or how long he had been fighting. He only knew that his sword moved to block blows, and his feet moved to dodge them. He only knew that when he heard a sharp cry of pain that he had defeated his current opponent and would soon face another. He was tiring, but his emotions were so strong he hardly noticed. 

Sora had stuck near to him as the group spread out, attacking the soldiers who were still running at them. Many had given up, but many had stayed. Many had been defeated, but there were still more coming. She began to feel as though there were no end to the enemies she must defeat. 

Above her, she heard a screech and saw that Piyomon – no – she was Birdramon now – was flying overhead. With a strong sense of pride she watched as her partner knocked out a few flying Dokunemon. Having a digimon of such strength – it was astounding – and somehow, despite her exhaustion, Sora found a way to continue on. 

Jyou had stayed close to Iori as they moved off, slightly to the left of where Yamato and Sora were fighting. The group had somehow managed to pair the weaker fighters with the stronger ones, and Iori, Jyou thought, was _much _better than he was.

Somehow during his training in the palace, Iori had managed to pick up fencing skills that Jyou had never thought possible before – especially for such a small boy. And so the doctor fought beside the young warrior. 

Ikkakumon fought ahead of them, keeping them free from the soaring Dokunemon. Armadimon cleared a path ahead of them so they could break through the lines.

Mimi fought beside Koushiro, wielding her staff as a violent weapon. Her anger and conviction made up for her lack of skill, but she stayed close to the more powerful wizard, who continued to lob his energy balls with the support of Togemon and Tentomon keeping away a few of the digimon. He found that, despite his exhaustion, his magic was somehow still strong. This fact astonished and relieved him, but he hardly had time to study the reasons behind it.

A few feet further left of Koushiro and Mimi, Ken and Miyako fought together. Somehow, the young man was attempting to teach Miyako something about what to do with the staff she gripped while still focusing on his own opponents. Without any evolved digimon to protect them, the two had to try to fend off the flying Dokunemon attacks even as they fought past the crowds of soldiers, Lopmon, and Agumon. 

Miyako gripped the staff and swung it violently. She hit one soldier in the chest, an Agumon's  head, and another soldier in the shins. Hawkmon shouted a warning, and she quickly dodged another Agumon's fiery breath. "This isn't fair!" she shouted over the clanks and yells of the battlefield. 

"Being outnumbered?" Ken asked, breaking for a moment from his fighting and awaiting his next opponent. 

"Yes!" she agreed as she spun around to whack a soldier that was trying to advance from behind. "And the fact that we don't have any of the larger digimon to help us!" She illustrated her point by narrowly ducking a Dokunemon that had zoomed past her head and then whacking it hard enough so it would fall from the sky. 

"Mega Flame!" shouted a deep voice. A few Dokunemon fell from the sky and crashed into the earth, writhing in pain from the fire before disintegrating. 

"Thanks, Greymon!" Hawkmon and Wormmon both shouted to the large fire-breather. Greymon smiled back and stomped on a few helpless Lopmon that were rushing toward them. 

Miyako blinked. "Well, that helps, doesn't it?" she commented aloud, and then smacked an attacking solider in the face with her staff. 

Taichi was only aware of what was going on right at that moment. He heard noises around him but he didn't turn his head. He wondered what would happen once the battle was over – would he die? Would he win? But he pushed those thoughts out of his mind and focused only on blocking his father's attacks. 

_'You can't just block them,'_ a voice in his mind spoke up. _'If you want to come out of this alive, you've _got_ to fight back!'_

It was true, and he knew it. But – could he bring himself to do it?   
_'You have to,'_ he told himself. And he knew then that it didn't matter if he could or couldn't. It only mattered that he would. 

***

Nearly all of the soldiers and digimon had retreated or been too injured to fight any longer. Quite a few digimon had been deleted, and several humans were suffering from wounds that appeared too deep and serious to heal. 

Yamato surveyed the scene and then looked back at his companions. Sora had a few nasty looking scratches on her arms and hands, but nothing serious. Iori was sweating profusely but still appeared ready to battle in case someone were to surprise him. Jyou looked a bit beat up. His nose was still dripping blood from his fall earlier, and his legs were bloodied as well. His pants were ripped, and his shirt had many tears. 

Mimi looked no more or less ragged than she had before the fight began. Her hair hung limply in her eyes and she pushed it behind her ears with one hand, hardly noticing it. Then she gripped her arm, where a sword had slashed her. Blood still dripped there, but it, too, was nothing serious. Koushiro was exhausted from the immense amount of magical energy he had used, but was uninjured. 

Miyako, too, appeared more exhausted than anything else. She leaned weakly against her staff and wiped her own hair from her face. She had a few small scratches on her arms and face, but nothing serious. Ken had managed to protect her from the more ferocious fighters, and she had fended off the rest herself. 

Ken himself appeared to also be without serious injury. What remained of his clothes was, like everyone else's, damaged beyond repair. His shirt was torn in several places, and blood trickled from some of them, but they appeared to be minor injuries. His normally neat dark hair drooped raggedly in to his face. Exhausted, he wiped his sweating face and looked around him. 

Daisuke caught his eye from across the field. His expression was serious. Ken nodded in silent response to his friend's unspoken statement. Around them, the digimon that had managed to evolve now shrank back to child forms and reunited with their partners. The mighty Greymon was soon Agumon once more. Those that had not evolved stood ready. All expected something more. 

At the edge of the cliff, only two fighters still clashed swords.

***

Jun awoke suddenly in the night and sat up, breathing heavily. Alraumon stared blankly at her partner. "What's wrong?" 

"I'm not sure," Jun replied. "I think I had this weird dream, but I don't remember it." 

"That could be bad," her digimon predicted, yawning slightly. 

"Probably," she agreed. She frowned and thought for a few moments. Then she jumped out of bed and threw on her slippers. She grabbed a robe from nearby. 

"Jun – where are you going?" Alraumon wondered. 

"My brothers are in trouble!" Jun replied without explaining any more. She flung open the door to her room and hurried out without waiting for her partner. 

Alraumon stared at the doorway. Then she followed after Jun. "_Brother**s**_? You only have _one _brother!" she shouted as she ran down the corridor. 

Jun didn't answer. She just ran through the halls as fast as she could. Panting, Alraumon hurried to keep up with her. "Where are we going?" she gasped. 

"To save my brothers!" her partner replied. After a few moments, they reached a door which led to the outside. 

"We're not going out there? Now?" 

"We are. Come on!" the girl responded. Lifting her nightgown so she wouldn't trip, Jun Motomiya ran quickly across the field in the very early morning. As she ran, she could see the early morning sun in the distance trying to peak over the hills of the castle grounds. 

***

"How long do you think this will go on?" Miyako whispered to Ken, breaking the silence. She fell wearily on the ground, still clutching her staff as though it would keep her alive. 

He sat beside her weakly. "Who knows," he answered with a shrug. He glanced at her, turning away from the battle. "You all right?" 

Miyako put a hand to her cheek and winced at the slight pain that ran through her face. "I think so," she replied. She pulled her hand away and noticed a few spots of blood. "Does it look bad?" 

He shook his head. "Anywhere else?" 

She looked over the small scratches on her arms. "No. Just exhausted." 

He nodded. "Same here." He didn't mention the sharp pain that darted through his stomach from the slash he'd received there. It wasn't too major, he was sure. Besides, they could clean it up when they were safe again. _If_ that happened. 

Jyou was tending to Mimi's scratched arm. He didn't have any medical equipment or water, but he was determined to at least cover it so it wouldn't bleed all over the place. He ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it around the wound tightly. 

"The fight will most likely end fairly soon," Iori spoke up from where he stood nearby, having overheard Miyako's comment. "They're both exhausted." 

"Taichi's holding him off well, but he's got to attack back if he wants to win. Neither can hold out much longer," Yamato agreed. He, too, had been intensely watching the battle for the last few moments. 

Sora glanced towards Hikari and her mother. "This has to be horrible for them," she murmured sympathetically. 

There was a shout from the battle then as Taichi lunged forward. A gasp came from the watching crowd, and the King stepped back to avoid the blade. Recovering quickly, the Prince stepped back again before he could be caught off guard. 

Hikari turned her face from the battle and covered her eyes. "I don't want to see," she whispered so low only Daisuke, standing a few feet away, could hear her. 

"It's all right," he said. She looked at him, incredulous, but he shook his head. "It is. They're both fine." 

She turned slowly and saw that the battle was still going on. She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Not for much longer," she noted. Weakly, the Princess sat down. 

Daisuke stood nearby. He had decided to stay near Hikari so he could protect her, and he decided he couldn't protect her if he sat down. Even though there didn't appear to be much that would hurt her now. 

"Daisuke! Ken!" a voice shouted from somewhere to his left. He turned and squinted through the darkness. 

"What's that?" Hikari wondered, turning toward the sound as well. 

"I don't know," he admitted. "Hello?" he called into the darkness. 

"Daisuke! Are you all right?" the voice asked. A dark figure became visible, running up the side of the hill. Immediately on guard, Daisuke gripped his sword and swung into a defensive stance. 

"Who's there?" V-mon demanded. 

The figure emerged from the shadows, panting heavily. Daisuke dropped his sword in surprise. "Jun? What are you doing here?" 

"That's what I'd like to know," Alraumon agreed, gasping as she ran up behind her partner. 

"I'm sorry, Daisuke. I didn't mean to scare you -," Jun apologized. 

"You didn't scare me," Daisuke denied, picking up his sword again. 

She ignored the denial. "-but I had this horrible dream and I needed to make sure my brothers were all right." 

"You only have _one_ brother!" Alraumon practically screeched, feeling _very _annoyed about being ignored. 

"We're fine," Daisuke replied, still not paying any attention to Alraumon's question. He gestured toward Ken, who was still sitting beside Miyako a fair distance away. "How did you find us, anyway?" 

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just sort of ran and then I was here. What's going on?" 

Hikari turned back towards the fight at the edge of the cliff. "My brother and father are involved in a duel to the death," she replied with forced casualness, as though discussing the weather. 

Jun gasped, but before she could comment, another shout came from the battlefield, and everyone turned to watch. 

Taichi somehow managed to catch his father when the sword was gripped loosely in his hands. He flung it to the ground a few feet from then. Desperately, the King tried to dive after his sword, only to fall a mere foot short. He found his son pointing the deadly blade at his throat. 

There was silence for a few seconds. The King laughed nervously. "You wouldn't think of – of killing me, would you?" he asked. 

Taichi did not respond. 

Hikari turned her face from the scene. She did not wish to see her father die. She did not wish to see her brother kill him. She knew she could not stop it, but she refused to watch. 

Daisuke couldn't tear his eyes from the scene. For some reason, he was entranced by the sight. Everyone else appeared to be, too, for all the others, the other Chosen, their digimon, even some of the fallen digimon and soldiers, all were watching. 

"Taichi – we can work this out – can't we? You don't have the guts to kill _me_. Your own father? Think about it!" The King sounded slightly desperate now.  

Taichi still did not reply. His face was a solid mask. Daisuke was able to see the flickers of anger in his eyes, but his expression remained cold. 

Before anyone could move, however, there was a cold wind that blew through the area. Taichi was knocked down, and both he and the King rolled several feet. Everyone else was thrown down. All those who had been sitting fell backwards. 

The wind stopped, and Taichi and the King both grabbed their swords and rose to their feet. Before either could make another move, a dark figure appeared to float up out of the ground. 

A chill ran down everyone's spines. No one knew who or what that figure was, but they could feel that it was dark. 

The figure was small, but by no means weak. It appeared to be entirely made of a cloak that was blood red in color. Two horns grew from the tip of the hood, and two glowing eyes stared from a hole in the front. Two long, dark, huge wings grew from its back. 

Koushiro gasped aloud upon seeing it and then shook his head. "No," the young wizard whispered under his breath. "No, it can't be him." 

"Who is it, Koushiro?" Mimi wondered. 

"I've only seen him mentioned a few times," Koushiro replied. He looked very pale. "I thought he was only a myth, or perhaps he had been destroyed long ago…" he trailed off. 

"Koushiro! Who is it?" Yamato demanded. 

"His name – his name is Demon. He's at a level of strength that we could not come close to matching right now. He's described in some of the books as – as –," again the wizard trailed off. He gulped. "-as a demon lord." 

"A demon lord?" Miyako repeated. "There's no _way_ we could hope to defeat him!" (Quite honestly she had no idea what a demon lord _was_, but she knew it was powerful just from the way Koushiro spoke.)

"No," Koushiro agreed. "Not in a million years." 

The creature now identified as Demon chuckled slightly. Without effort, he raised both his arms. "Flame inferno," he stated in a voice of inky blackness.

Immediately a mass of huge flames shot from each of his hands. A circle of the flames surrounded both the King and Taichi. 

"Taichi!" Hikari shouted, and lunged. Only with Daisuke, Jun, and the Queen helping to hold her was the Princess prevented from jumping through the fire herself. 

Daisuke felt a cold darkness grip him somewhere inside. He'd felt this before – once – but when? Where? 

"Let me go! Taichi!" Hikari shouted, struggling to be free. 

"Hikari, there's no way -," the Queen began softly. 

"Let me go! Brother!" she screamed. 

"Hikari, you can't help him right now! You'll only get yourself hurt!" Daisuke shouted over her yells. "He'll be all right, I promise, just _stay here_!" 

Reluctantly, she managed to relax a bit. Tears rolled down her face once more. 

"Neither of you is of any use to me," Demon intoned in his smooth, dark voice, addressing the King and Prince. His glowing eyes scanned the group. "But one of _you_ is." His eyes settled on one of the Chosen. 

Ken shivered when the creature's eyes stopped on him. He realized then that everyone was staring at him. 

"Of course," the King mumbled from inside the flame-circle. "Kindness in the dark – an ally or a traitor." 

"What?" Miyako gasped. 

Daisuke stared. He turned to his sister, and then back to Ken. Somehow – he had felt that feeling before - 

And then he remembered. When he had been in the cell, with Hikari, and the glowing digivice had settled in his hands. It would change everything – but some of those changes would be bad. He had felt a dread in the pit of his stomach then. 

_'The bad changes,'_ he realized then. _'One of them has to do with Ken – but what? And why?'_

"What do you want Ken for?" he demanded then, finding his voice. The dark creature did not reply, but instead began to move himself past the flaming circles, through the bodies and injured that lined the hill. 

Shaking slightly, Ken found his own voice. "Me? Why me?" 

"You are of use to me," the demon replied. "Your brother was to be used – but sadly, he did not make it." His voice indicated that he was not entirely upset about this loss.

"What did you do to my brother?" 

"_I_ did nothing. Your brother's death was unfortunate. I needed someone in whom to implant the seeds of darkness. Your brother would have been perfect." 

"You mean you wanted to _use_ him," Ken interpreted with a slight snarl. 

"I wanted to use his abilities – to make him more than he could have become on his own," Demon replied. "Thankfully, you are a perfect breeding ground for the darkness as well." 

"You're not getting me without a fight!" he snapped back. 

"That's for sure!" Miyako shouted in agreement. She gripped the staff in her hands and stepped beside him. 

"Ditto!" Daisuke was on his other side within seconds, dashing across the hill. 

Demon only laughed, his inky voice making the mocking laughter even crueler, which was, of course, what he wanted. "You don't honestly think you three have a chance of defeating _me,_ do you?" he questioned.

"That doesn't matter," Ken replied, raising his own sword in defense. "I'd rather die than serve you!" 

The monster laughed. "Your ideas _will_ change, Ichijouji," he replied. "They will change. Someday, you will _happily_ serve me." He faded into the ground, same as he had appeared, his laughter filling the void where he had been. 

Daisuke looked around sharply. "What? I don't understand! Did he come just to scare us?" 

Wormmon looked at his partner with concern. "Ken? You all right?" 

Ken was shaking slightly, but he nodded. "I think so," he replied in a low voice. 

"I don't think we've seen the last of him," Iori noted in a quiet voice. 

"I don't think so either," Miyako agreed. 

"He won't be back for a while, I don't think," Yamato stated hesitantly. "The question is – why did he come at all?" 

"Taichi!" Hikari shouted. The flaming circles that were surrounding Taichi and the King were beginning to close in on him. The Prince had little space left to breathe.   
"Hikari!" he shouted. "Get some water or something! Put out the fire!" 

Hikari glanced around. The nearest water was not for some distance. The closest stream was at the bottom of the hill. "Taichi, there isn't enough time!" 

A second later, everyone was surrounding the flaming circles, trying their best to beat out the flames. Hawkmon and Piyomon tried to extinguish them by flapping their wings, but that effort was almost useless. Agumon ran frantically around the edge of the fire. 

"Do something! Do something!" the little yellow digimon shouted. But no one knew what to do. 

The others took sticks and lifted dirt in their hands, trying to beat the fire out. It didn't help much, either. 

"Taichi, it's not even slowing down!" Hikari shouted frantically. "Taichi!" 

"I'm going to try to run!" he shouted from over the roar of the flames and Agumon's hysterical shouting. 

"Run?! You'll get burned!" Sora shouted sensibly. 

"If I stay in here I'll burn, too!" he replied. "It's my only choice." 

"Taichi, don't!" Hikari shouted. 

"Hikari, there's not much choice!" he replied. Suddenly, there was a poof of smoke somewhere nearby. All eyes turned. The fire that had enclosed the King was gone now, having disappeared in that puff, but, unfortunately, so was the King. Hikari stared in shock for a moment. 

"Hurry, Taichi!" she shouted, her voice filled with fear. 

"All right! I'm going to run!" he shouted. Yamato grabbed Agumon and tried to calm him down (or at least get him to stop shouting and running around hysterically). Everyone stepped back a few feet. 

A moment later, there was a break in the flames and a figure ran out. As soon as he was free, the magical flames disappeared. 

Taichi's shirt and the tips of his hair were on fire. Quickly, everyone threw dirt on him and patted his back, trying to get the fire out. A moment later, the only sign of the fire was a dark, thick covering of soot, dirt, and ash. 

Hikari stared, unmoving, for a moment, and then threw herself upon her brother, hugging him and crying desperately. "Oh Taichi!" 

Taichi was too weak to try to do anything at the moment except to collapse in his sister's arms. Yamato, moving behind, managed to catch his friend. The Prince – rather – the new King - looked exhausted, but he was most definitely alive. 

"Let's get him home," the Queen stated then, moving to the front of the crowd to see her son. "Can you carry him?" 

Yamato nodded, and then enlisted his brother to assist him. Slowly, the brothers carried the triumphant boy back down the castle and to his home. Koushiro managed to lift Agumon in his arms and carry him behind his partner. 

"Doesn't anyone realize what this means?" Daisuke asked as the group made its way slowly back to the castle. 

"We won?" V-mon questioned with some confusion.  

"Exactly!" Daisuke congratulated his partner. He lifted the little blue digimon in the air and hugged him. "You were great out there." 

V-mon shrugged and blushed slightly at the compliment. "I didn't do anything much," he reminded his partner. Daisuke didn't seem to care. 

"That's not it, Daisuke," Miyako pointed out, poking him slightly in the back. "We also have a new King." 

Daisuke nodded in agreement, glancing back at the unconscious boy. "That's right," he admitted. "I hope he does a good job." 

"I'm sure he will," Koushiro said confidently with a slight smile. 

"And there's a _new_ enemy out there. A dangerous one," Wormmon spoke up from his place in Ken's arms. 

Ken didn't reply to that troubling reminder, but Koushiro did. "I don't know," the wizard admitted. "In our current state, none of us have anything close to the power required to even fight him, let alone defeat him." 

"Not yet," Daisuke agreed. "But we will." 

Everyone was startled by that statement. "We will?" repeated Ken. 

Jun was quick to agree with her brother. "You will," she agreed, throwing one arm around each over her brothers. "I know you will."

***

Yeah, I know, lame ending, right? It didn't exactly turn out as great as I'd hoped, either. But that's it!

Thanks everyone who read this far! Please review, and hopefully stick around for the epilogue. It'll be out in a couple of days, and it'll clear up a couple of loose ends. 

I don't own Digimon or any of the characters involved. Sue me and you won't get much. Thanks again for reading and all the great reviews!


	14. Epilogue: Going Home

The Dark Bandit 

Epilogue

Miyako felt the warm water flow around her as she relaxed in the bathtub, letting the smell of the fragrant soaps fill her nostrils. For a few moments she reveled in the luxury of the bath as she cleared her mind from the thoughts of the last week's events. 

But it only lasted a few moments. A short time later there was a banging on the door. Before she had a chance to reply, it burst open, and a red-headed girl wearing only a towel tied tightly around her chest entered. 

"Are you going to be in here all morning?" Sora demanded. "You'll be late for breakfast!" 

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Miyako grumbled as she reached for her towel. She wrapped one around her body and another around her long hair and stepped out of the tub. "What's the big deal about breakfast anyway?" she asked as she entered her bedroom in the suite she shared with Sora and Jun. 

Sora fixed her with a ferocious glare and she knew to say no more. "Do you have everything packed?" Sora changed the subject. 

"I was finished last night," Miyako replied as she pulled the dress she'd left out on the bed over her head.   
Sora, in her own room, had dressed and was now running a comb through her hair. Piyomon watched her partner brush her hair while she preened her own feathers. "I think that looks great on you, Sora," she complimented. 

"Thanks, Piyomon," Sora replied cheerfully. She had chosen for that occasion a blue dress with pink trim. It was neat, smooth, and impeccably clean. 

"I wish you were coming back with me," Miyako spoke from the doorway where she was still fussing with her tangled hair. "It's so _boring_ traveling alone." 

Sora took the brush from her friend and yanked it through her long hair. "You're _not_ going alone, remember? Ken and Daisuke are traveling with you." She paused in her brushing a moment to grin at her friend mischievously. "I didn't think you'd mind." 

Miyako blushed slightly. "I don't," she admitted. "But I meant traveling without _you_." 

Sora shrugged and yanked the brush again. "You'll be fine," she assured her. "Besides, I'll be along in a few weeks." 

"I know. But what will I do without you for a few weeks?"   
"Most likely the same things you always do," Hawkmon commented as he entered the room. 

"But it won't be the same!" Miyako half-whined. 

Sora pulled the brush through her hair one last time and handed it back. "You'll be fine," she told her, glancing over her appearance. "That dress looks really nice."   
"Thanks," Miyako grinned. She had chosen a light blue dress with some pale yellow trim. "Yours does, too. Neat and everything." 

A shrug was the response. "Come on, let's go or we'll be late." 

***

Daisuke stood in the hallway beside his parent's door, alone with his thoughts. Jun and his father were still in there. Ken was – well – he didn't know _where_ Ken was. V-mon was somewhere else, too. Daisuke didn't want to be in that room, then. There was no point anymore. Not _now_. 

The door opened softly and shut again. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and the doctor's voice spoke. "You were just in time, Daisuke." 

He didn't turn to see Jyou's face. He couldn't. He felt at that moment that if he saw anyone, he would cry. He didn't speak either, because a lump was in his throat. He just nodded, mutely, and looked at his shoes. 

The doctor left then, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. Even Gomamon, riding on his shoulder, was unusually somber and silent. A sadness seemed to permeate the corridor, becoming audible even in those footsteps. Weakly, Daisuke sank down to the floor. The footsteps faded, and it was quiet again.

It had been several days since the battles on the hill. Daisuke was still somewhat weak from his numerous tortures. There were scars on his body that he would probably always have. There were mental scars that might last longer. Though the immediate physical danger was over, he somehow now felt weaker than he had in the dungeon. 

He realized his cheeks were wet, and that tears were falling faster than he could stop them. He hadn't even noticed they had started. Feeling as though this sort of weakness was somehow wrong, he wiped them furiously away from his eyes. But they kept coming. 

He became even more annoyed with his own weakness and furiously continued wiping, but the action only seemed to make them come faster. Before long he was sobbing, his breath coming in little hiccupped sobs and his nose clogging. 

"Daisuke?" 

He hadn't even noticed anyone coming, but suddenly, there she was. She must have moved so silently through the carpeted corridor that he hadn't heard her steps over his tears. Feeling very self-conscious, he wiped them away once more and sniffled. But he wouldn't meet her eyes. 

"Are you all right?" she asked. 

He nodded, still unable to speak, and sniffled again. He hiccupped again, and felt more tears run down his already wet cheeks. _'Darn it,'_ he thought. He didn't want her to see him like that. 

She didn't believe his silent denial, however, and knelt beside him. "Daisuke, tell me what happened." Her voice was soft, soothing, coaxing. He couldn't help but to obey.

Through the glistening vision created by his tears, Daisuke turned his head. His throat was dry; he coughed a few times to try to clear it. "She- she's dead," he said then, softly, and his voice was still hoarse despite those efforts. 

"Your mother?" she clarified, and he nodded. There was a long silence. Then something happened that he didn't expect. 

She moved quickly, he didn't even see it, and then, suddenly, she was hugging him. Hikari wrapped her delicately strong arms around his weak body and, amazingly, he felt some of his strength return. As though he was drawing strength _from_ her. "I'm so sorry," she said, but he barely noticed the words.

At first, he felt awkward, but then he felt that strength, felt that weakness leave him, felt as thought it was all somehow – _right._ His tears lessened a little, and suddenly the future wasn't quite so bleak. 

After a moment, Hikari released him from the hug. She put one hand on his shoulder, lifted his head in her other hand, and looked into his still-watery eyes. "You going to be all right?" 

He managed a smile. "I think so," he answered in his still hoarse voice. 

"Want to talk about it?" 

He shook his head. "Not yet."

She nodded. "You going to eat breakfast?" 

A blank expression was his reply. _Breakfast?_ What was that? Wait- what was that feeling in his stomach? No – past the uneasy, twisted, sick feeling. Hunger? Yes. He was a bit hungry. 

"Maybe a little." She stood up, smiling at this response. 

"You don't have to come and eat with everyone else, you know. It could be sent to your room." 

He shook his head. "No, I'll come. Just – let me go wash up first." His hands were sticky from the salty residue of his tears.

She nodded, and turned to leave. She had gone a few, silent footsteps when she turned and looked back. "Daisuke?" 

He looked up. 

"You could always – stay here – for a while – if you wanted," she offered hesitantly. 

He smiled. "Maybe I will," he answered. "After-," and his voice paused here, "we go home for a bit." 

She nodded. "Anytime," she replied, and really did leave then. 

***

Sora paused awkwardly in the hallway, causing Miyako to pause as well, and wonder about the awkwardness. 

"What?" 

"I – um." She was actually blushing. 

"What?" Miyako demanded, all the more interested now. 

Sora turned and stared down the corridor they were about to pass. "I -," she began again. 

Miyako stared blankly down the hall. What was down the hall? Nothing much. A stairway, a few servants quarters, and – 

And the royal family's quarters. 

"You want to see Taichi," she realized. 

Sora nodded. "I haven't seen him since -," she trailed off once more. There wasn't need to finish. How would she? Since he almost died? Since it was decided he would rule the country? Since his father died? 

Miyako nodded. "Go ahead." 

"You sure?" 

"I'm sure. Go ahead." 

Relief flooded the older girl's features. "Thanks," she replied with a grin. She started to elaborate, but Miyako shook her head. 

"Just go. I'll see you before I leave." 

And Sora was gone then, down the hall. 

***

Breakfast was a shorter affair than Miyako had expected. Taichi, Sora explained, was feeling better, but not well enough yet to be up and about. Some of the burns he'd suffered were very severe and his body was still quite weak. 

There were many missing from the meal. The Queen now wished to stay with her son through most meals, so she was absent. Daisuke came, but looked weak and slightly pale. His father and sister were eating alone – if they were eating at all. Everyone tried to offer condolences, sympathy, support. Hikari sat beside him and tried to make sure he ate. He did, but he appeared as though he barely tasted it. 

Iori was busy with his work. Since the King was gone, that meant more work to be done, and the young advisor was running errands, filing paperwork, helping to run the country and prepare for the coronation ceremony that would take place as soon as the new King was well again. 

Yamato and Takeru were there, but even the normally cheerful Takeru was somber. In soft, serious voices, they informed Miyako that they planned to stay on at the castle for a few weeks or even longer. Taichi needed their advice and assistance in these first few months, and they were prepared to give it. With their parents not getting along well, neither much liked being at home anyway. 

Mimi, too, was at breakfast and planning on staying around for awhile. She could never resist a party, and as she had missed Hikari's cancelled birthday, she hoped to help plan the coronation. It would be combined with the birthday, and a double party, she explained, was twice as good. 

Koushiro ate, but very quickly, and left quickly afterward. He explained that he was studiously searching for all the mentions of Demon he could find in his ancient digimon texts. He hoped to coerce Mimi into leading him back into the forest to see the old man, Gennai, she had met, deciding that he must have information the wizard himself was lacking. 

The doctor, Jyou, was busy with the work he had missed a day of. A qualified workaholic in some cases, he took his job very seriously and was eager to get back to whatever he had missed. He, too, was staying on at the castle, "for at least as long as Taichi needs me." 

The only one without an excuse was Ken. When questioned, Daisuke had only shrugged and replied he hadn't seen him all morning. Miyako suddenly felt afraid. She wanted to ask Daisuke if he thought Ken might have done something stupid – or if perhaps he had snuck off to observe from the rooftops as the Dark Bandit. But she dared not mention anything that might upset the boy, and she dared mention nothing about the Dark Bandit in front of the others. Besides, she had promised to keep her knowledge a secret from Daisuke for a while, and now seemed a bad time to divulge such information. 

As soon as she had finished, Miyako rushed to the gardens, to Ken's room, to the archery field, to the hill, even to her own balcony, but she saw no sign of the mysterious young man. She couldn't look for long, because soon Iori came and told her that the carriage was ready to leave, and were all her things ready?   
"I'm ready, Iori," Miyako replied impatiently. "I was looking for Ken, have you seen him?" 

"Last I saw he was preparing to get on the carriage," the boy replied. "Why?" 

With a sigh of relief, Miyako feigned casualness. "No reason," she lied. "I just was wondering." 

***

Miyako realized with a somewhat depressed attitude that the long ride home would take longer than originally expected. Ken was going back home, which would require a detour. Not with the Motomiya family, but to his own home. He had received no further letters on the state of his father, and so therefore felt obliged to return home, assuming the worst. Therefore, the trip would take _two_ days instead of the usual one.

The party was most certainly not a cheerful one. Jun, Daisuke, and Lord Motomiya were all quite saddened over the Lady's death, and the carriage containing her coffin was to follow them back home. Daisuke was still in a slightly stunned state, Jun was upset and had been sobbing nearly hysterically for most of the morning (and still was early afternoon when they set out), and the Lord was merely looking even more grave and serious than usual. 

Ken was concerned for his father, concerned about going home again after quite some time, and concerned about the digimon who had decided he would someday have him for a servant. And a willing one at that. 

Miyako stared at the blue sky overhead and marveled at the contradiction. If it had been raining, it would have added to the depressed mood, but the sunny day seemed to make it all the more pronounced, obvious, and visible. 

There were three carriages back home as there had been three carriages on the way there, despite the fewer number of passengers. The third carried the coffin, and the first carried the Lord and Jun, who had decided to ride with her father. 

Daisuke, too stunned to really make a decision on the matter, went with Ken and Miyako merely because he didn't want to ride all the way home with his uncontrollably weeping sister. They waved good-bye to the small crowd that gathered to say good-bye, promised to return in a month or so for the coronation/birthday party, climbed into the carriages, and were gone. 

The first hour was ridden in silence. Daisuke stared blankly out one window, Ken stared blankly out another, and Miyako stared blankly at the wall at the back of the carriage. V-mon sat beside his partner and looked upset, Wormmon looked at his partner and looked upset, and Hawkmon looked a bit awkward before finally excusing himself from the scene to fly overhead. Being a bird digimon, he didn't much like confined spaces. 

Miyako watched her digimon hop out the window and wished she could follow. The carriage was a depressing atmosphere. Normally, she would not have disliked such a ride, but this was nearly unbearable. 

After the first hour, with Miyako feeling too awkward and the boys feeling too depressed to make conversation, the caravan stopped for a picnic meal. It, too, was eaten in silence except for the occasional "please pass the salt," and the sounds of chewing. 

Miyako began to wonder if Jun's carriage was less depressing. She appeared to have at least stopped crying long enough to eat lunch, but was still a bit tearful. 

After ten minutes of stifling silence on the next part of the ride, Miyako felt herself begin to drift off to sleep and was suddenly awakened. 

"Doesn't anyone have anything to talk about?" Daisuke spoke up. Miyako and Ken looked at him blankly. "I mean – anything? You don't have to be silent on _my_ account." 

That statement loosened the tension just a little, and a conversation began. Ken told some of what he remembered about his parents and his home, and even a little about his brother. Miyako mentioned the upcoming coronation. Daisuke spoke about Hikari. 

No one spoke about the dark demon, the death of the King, the death of Lady Motomiya, or the fate of Ken's father. The conversation became animated enough that Hawkmon even reentered the carriage for a bit to join in. 

"What do you think you'll do now?" Miyako asked them both.

Daisuke shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "Everything's different now." He reached into his pocket and stared at the little blue box. "This thing must have incredible power." He glanced toward V-mon. 

"Yeah! Think of what I could _become_!" the blue digimon declared, flexing his muscles and grinning. 

"I think, if we get this thing to work, that we'll make an awesome fighting team," Daisuke agreed, matching his partner's grin. He glanced to Ken. "What about you?"   
"What about me?" 

"What are you going to do? Will you stay at home?" 

He shrugged. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "It depends on how things are there. Mother may not need me."

Miyako wanted desperately to ask about the Dark Bandit, but she dared not open her mouth in front of Daisuke. 

Daisuke very much wanted to know about the Dark Bandit's future, but he didn't think he'd have the chance with Miyako there. 

Ken noticed the anxious, anticipatory looks on both their faces and wondered if he should spill the secret to Daisuke that Miyako knew. He laughed inwardly and decided against it, smiling slightly at his own inner joke. 

"What's so funny?" Daisuke demanded, not in the least bit amused. 

"Nothing," Ken replied with the same enigmatic smile. 

Miyako chuckled silently and thought then that she understood the reasoning behind Ken's request.

***

It was a dark night, as all nights are, and pouring rain, when the carriage stopped at the dark-looking manor. Ken, Daisuke, and Miyako squinted through the windows at the tall building illuminated in the lightning. "This is it?" Daisuke wondered. 

He had known Ken for many years, but had never really seen his home. In fact, he never had at all. Ken spent much time at his home, but very little at his own. The only times Daisuke had ever seen his parents were at the palace. 

Ken nodded somewhat grimly. He did not appear to be dreading what was to come, but it was not welcoming, either. His expression was guarded, cautious, as though he didn't want to reveal what he truly thought. Miyako and Daisuke both regarded him with questioning glances, but he didn't reveal anything more. 

"This is it," he answered instead. "Ichijouji Manor." 

"It looks – huge," Miyako offered, trying to give an opinion but not really being able to give one about its looks in the darkness. A clap of thunder flashed. 

Ken nodded bleakly again. Miyako wondered if perhaps he was afraid, and decided he must be. 

The door to the carriage opened, and a servant poked his head in. "Please stay in here," he told them. "Lord Motomiya is going to enter first." The door shut again, and the rain soaked servant headed back to the relative dryness of the covered driving booth. 

Lightning flashed again, and Daisuke was able to make out his father and a servant running through the rain towards the house. Then it was dark again. Another flash and he saw the servant pounding on the door. The door opened, and then it was dark again. A moment later, his father was gone and the servant was running back to the carriage. 

A few minutes went by and then the servant was there again. "The Lady has offered shelter for the night," the servant explained, opening the door. "Go quickly, it's raining hard." 

Miyako took a blanket from the inside of the carriage, held Hawkmon tight to her, and held the blanket over her head, trying to keep them both dry. Daisuke did the same for himself and V-mon and followed her. 

The entrance hall of the massive manor was not much larger than Miyako's home. She wiped at her face, drying herself off, and Hawkmon shook himself. Daisuke and V-mon shivered in the warm interior and looked around at the room.

A servant led them down the hall and into a small parlor. A warm fire lit the room, and a few candles offered further light. Soft, green armchairs lined the room, and the servant gestured to them. Miyako and Daisuke awkwardly sat down, not knowing what to expect. 

A moment later, Lord Motomiya entered, standing next to a small, somewhat frail-looking woman. "Good evening," she greeted. "I'm sorry I couldn't prepare for your arrival better, but I didn't know you were coming." She smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood, and both her guests stood up. 

"Lady, this is my son, Daisuke, and a friend, Miyako Inoue." Daisuke bowed somewhat awkwardly, and Miyako curtsied. "Miyako, Daisuke, this is Lady Ichijouji." 

"I've already seen to your daughter's room," the woman explained to the Lord. "She'll be fine after a good night's sleep."   
"Jun's sick?" Daisuke interrupted. 

"Just a cold, Daisuke. The rain." Daisuke nodded, but the expression on his face betrayed to Miyako his true feelings. His mother had once had 'just a cold.' 

"Won't you have some tea?" the Lady offered. "There's a meal being prepared, but it will take a few minutes. Warm up a bit after your journey." She gestured to the chairs and they sat down again. A tray was brought in with some teacups and handed to each of the guests. For a few moments, they sipped the tea, and then the door opened. 

His hair was still wet, and falling slightly in his face. A few soft droplets dripped onto his nose, and his clothes were quite damp. Wormmon stood at his feet, looking only slightly drier. 

Ken bowed politely to the room, but his eyes fell on the woman. "Mother." 

She stood up then, and quickly made her way across the room. "Oh, Ken, you're soaking wet," she noted. "You couldn't dry off your hair a bit? Come in, have some tea. I should let you all change before we eat. Warm up a bit first, please?" 

"Mother, I," Ken began awkwardly. 

"Have some tea, Ken. We'll talk, I promise. Just have some tea first." 

He nodded, clearly not too pleased with the situation but accepting it. He sat in the chair between Daisuke and his mother and accepted the cup of tea in silence. Daisuke glanced nervously at his friend for some sort of clue as to what to do, but Ken stared blankly at the cup and didn't meet his friend's eyes. 

After a few more moments of silent sipping, Lady Ichijouji set her cup down. She looked a bit upset. "He died right after I sent the letter." 

Ken looked into his half-empty cup and didn't reply. Daisuke could almost sense the sigh of relief. Even if what had happened at the castle hadn't happened, he would not have been able to make it home in time. 

The Lady continued. "I didn't think to send it sooner – your father wanted – he didn't want to worry you. We knew you would be at the palace – with the party and all – we didn't want to infringe on such a happy time with sad news. He didn't know how bad it was until right then. Suddenly, he just got weaker and then - ," she trailed off, looking away, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes. 

All eyes turned to Ken. Daisuke almost thought he could detect a few glistening tears in his friend's eyes, but said nothing. 

"You could have told me anyway, Mother," he said in a soft voice, but didn't meet her eyes either. 

She didn't reply. 

There was a tap on the door and another servant entered. "The baths have been drawn," he reported. 

****

Miyako felt dinner was a bit less awkward after a warm bath, and she felt better, too. She had changed into a warmer dress and dried off. She felt better now, and the hot food made her feel pleasant. 

After dinner, everyone felt sleepy, and they went to their rooms. Daisuke and Miyako followed Ken, who led the way silently through the halls and up staircases to a wing where his room was located. 

He pointed to two rooms in the hallway. "Pick whichever one you want," he said with a shrug.

Miyako picked the one on the left, Daisuke the one on the right. "Which one's yours?" Daisuke wondered. 

He pointed silently to the room across the hall. "If you want to come in for a bit and talk or something, you can," he added, half-inviting them. 

Miyako and Daisuke exchanged glances. "Sure." They hadn't talked since arriving there. 

"It's a nice house," Miyako stated politely once they had entered the room. She and Daisuke both sat on the bed while Ken began to go look around his room. 

"It's all right, I suppose," he replied. He set Wormmon on the bed between them. 

"How do you feel?" Daisuke ventured to ask. As he was still in shock from his mother, he presumed he might be someone to try to help his friend. 

Another shrug. He leaned against the wall in the far corner. "I'm not sure yet."   
"Still in shock?" 

"Yeah. I think. It feels weird to be here again." 

"When's the last time you were home?" Miyako wondered. 

He thought a moment. "I was home about four months ago. But only for a week. I forget why. Two months before that I was home for three weeks." 

Miyako could only stare in surprise. "Is it really that horrible?" 

He shrugged again. "There's nothing _horrible_," he replied, staring suddenly at the slightly dusty carpet on his floor. "It's just – I don't know – weird." 

"Sad?"  
"Yeah."

Daisuke stood up. Ken lifted his head at the sound and found his friend staring him in the eyes. "Whenever you want, you can come ho - you can stay with me. You know that."

"And me," Miyako spoke up. "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you stayed with us for a while." 

He nodded. "I know. I think I should be here for a little while, though." 

"Are you sure that's safe?" Wormmon spoke up. He had a worried expression. "I mean – if this Demon guy is after you, should you be alone?" 

Daisuke appeared alarmed. "That's right!" he remembered. "You can't stay here by yourself. Let me stay. Or come with me." 

"You can't stay here," Ken reminded him. "You have to be home, too." 

"No I don't. If you're not safe here, then I should be here, too. We're like family, remember?" 

"Daisuke, I can take care of myself," he began rationally. 

"Against this guy? I don't think so! I'm staying!" 

"You're not staying." 

"I am. You can't make me leave." 

"Daisuke." 

"I'm staying."

"You can't stay." 

"Why not?" 

"You have to be home." 

"I have to be with you!" 

"Daisuke, go home." 

"No!" 

"I can take care of _myself_." 

"Against this guy? Breaking people out of jail, facing up to a King?" Daisuke forgot Miyako was in the room, all energy focused on the current argument. "This is _nothing_ compared to what this Demon guy is going to do to you! You heard Koushiro! He's more powerful than _all_ of us are put together. Dark Bandit stuff is _not_ going to prepare you for this!" 

Ken was silent, thinking. Daisuke was panting, his weariness showing. 

Miyako spoke up. "I'm guessing that this guy doesn't want you right away," she rationalized, now that there was a break in the argument and both were willing to listen. "If he had wanted you, back there, on the hill, none of us would have been able to stop him, no matter how hard we had tried. He could have had you then. He didn't. So Daisuke staying isn't really going to help." 

Daisuke listened to what she said and then realized what _he_ had said. His eyes grew wide. "You – were here – all the time," he mumbled. 

Miyako nodded. "Yeah, I came in with you, remember?" She was smiling slightly. 

Daisuke turned back to Ken, who still had a thoughtful expression on his face as he considered what they had both said. "She – was here-," he stammered. 

Ken broke out of his thoughts and blinked. "Who?" 

"Miyako!" 

He looked past him at Miyako, who was sitting on the bed. "Yes, I know," he replied with a shrug, and returned to his thoughts. 

"Didn't you hear what I said?" He turned to Miyako. "Did you hear what I said?" 

_"'Dark Bandit stuff is not going to prepare you for this!'_" Miyako quoted, imitating his dramatic tone. "What about it?" 

Daisuke blinked several times. "You – you knew!" 

Miyako feigned innocent confusion. "Knew what?" 

"You _knew! _You knew!" he insisted, and turned to Ken. "She knew! She knows! How does she – You told her!" 

Ken stared blankly (very good acting, Miyako thought) and blinked a few times. "Knew what? Told her what?" 

"About you! She knew! Why? Why did you tell her?" 

"Knew what?" Miyako repeated, trying very, very hard not to laugh. 

"You knew! About him! That he's," he looked around to make sure no one else was around who might overhear. "That's he's the Dark Bandit," he concluded in a softer voice. He raised it again. "Why did you tell her?" 

Ken shrugged, a smile now on his face. "She figured it out," he replied offhandedly, as though the idea to tell Daisuke had just _now_ occurred to him. 

He blinked. "Figured it out?" he stared at Miyako. "You did?" 

She shrugged. "It wasn't that hard, actually." 

"Why didn't you guys tell me this?" 

Miyako pointed to Ken. "He wanted to keep it secret. I didn't care one way or the other." 

"Oh. I see." Daisuke turned back to him now, a look of somewhat malignant indignation on his face. "This was _your _idea. To _humiliate_ me!" 

He was definitely grinning now, a sight that looked quite welcome after the last few hours of grim silence. "Yes." 

"You realize – that we could have used her toward our advantage?" 

Ken shook his head. "Doubtful. She didn't find out until we'd already been confined. After that, I only sneaked out once – to give Jun the letter and check on where the digimon were." 

Daisuke only stared in complete astonishment. "How did she find out?" 

"Process of elimination," Miyako replied. "He was the only one who was missing every time the Dark Bandit showed up." 

Daisuke shook his head. "We'll have to be more careful," he muttered under his breath. "So what did you do? Confront him on the roof or something? Blackmail?" 

"I asked him." 

"Asked him?"

Ken spoke up. "She did. The first night we were in that room. I was cleaning you up, you fell asleep, we talked. That reminds me." 

"Reminds you what?" 

He didn't answer right away, instead rummaged through the trunk the servants had carried from the carriage. A moment later, he removed a small object, walked to Miyako, and held out his hand. 

"A hair pin?" 

"Yours." 

She reached self-consciously up to her hair, then looked at Daisuke, then back to Ken. "You took it?" 

He nodded. "I had to get out the window somehow or another. I forgot to give it back."   
"How did you get it?" 

A shrug. "You were sleeping. Wasn't hard. I wasn't even sure you'd notice." 

"I wouldn't, ordinarily. Daisuke borrowed the other one and used it to open the window. I noticed there was only one left." 

Ken looked mildly surprised. "You opened the window?" 

"Yeah, surprised Takeru quite a bit. He was almost impressed." Daisuke chuckled. 

"You're getting better." 

"I learned from the best." 

"Of course." A smile. 

***

Daisuke and Miyako waved good-bye through the window of their carriage as it trudged off down the road. In the sun, the large manor looked a bit less gloomy, and they both felt a bit more optimistic about the future of their friend. 

"I hope he'll be okay," Daisuke commented. "I haven't been away from him very much in the past few months," he confessed. "It feels weird." 

"You've still got me!" V-mon reminded him. 

"I know," Daisuke assured him, giving him another hug. 

"Everything feels kind of – bland now," Miyako agreed. "It was so exciting the past week. Now it all goes back to normal. Mostly." She sighed, half bored, half contentedly. 

Daisuke smiled then and looked out at the bright blue sky. "Yeah, but I don't think it'll be too boring for long," he reminded her. He felt his pocket holding his digivice as he spoke, and she agreed. 

"I wonder what Hawkmon will be when he evolves," Miyako wondered, watching her digimon soar through the air. 

Daisuke shrugged. "We'll probably find out soon enough." 

"Really big and strong and powerful!" V-mon declared with a grin, and Daisuke nodded. 

Only a few short hours later, they were home again, and Miyako was saying goodbye to Daisuke. It felt as though he had only just arrived to give her and Sora a ride to the palace, and now he was leaving again. She waved as the carriage went off and promised to see him again for the coronation/birthday party. Then the carriage was gone, and life somehow was unchanged. But never the same as it was. 

The End

**NOTES:**

Can ya believe I considered writing this as a short one-shot before I got into it? One–shot. Me. Yeah, right. HA. 

For those who care, some interesting background on this story…

I was inspired by many different things including: 

_Caspian,_ "My Father's Crown."  - From this I got the idea to have Taichi vs. Authority Figure/King dude. In that story, he admires his father, and fights his uncle. In this one he admires a_nd _fights his father. Cool, huh?

_Time Lady,_ "A Digi Tale."  - (and many other Time Lady fairy tales) the idea to include digimon in the fairy tale-ish story and use them as weapons (although I did it a bit differently here).

_Zorro_ (duh) – someone pointed this out in one of my earliest reviews. You got it right on the nose. I always loved Zorro, even the movie with Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas (I think).

In this story, in case you hadn't noticed, Digimon are partnered with _everyone._ Yes, even Jun. I wasn't going to include them in here, originally, but if I did, I had to give one to everyone. Getting the characters to a Digital World is hard without a computer, explaining it with magic would be difficult(and too easy), so I just made everyone have digimon. Only the Chosen (Taichi, Hikari, Daisuke, Ken, etc.) have digivices, so only those can evolve. 

What to expect in the sequel:

Gosh, I haven't thought too much about this yet, but here's some things that will probably be in it to keep everyone interested and waiting. Some of this might change, nothing's definite yet, so if some of these don't appear, don't get mad. Well, you can, but I won't care too much. ^_^ 

First of all, there will most likely be something having to do with Demon. Don't expect the party to go perfectly. It'll probably start off with Miyako again – I try to focus on her in this series. That's all so far. Oh, and Wizarmon will make an appearance. I like him. ^_^

Anyway, thanks for reading, don't forget to review (please)! I hope everyone liked this story, because I liked writing it! 

And never forget – I don't own Digimon (or Zorro) or anything else that might have influenced this plot. I do own the plot. Not the characters. Sue? You get no money. ^_^


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